About A Camaro
by lonelylanterns
Summary: It's been a month since the battle of Mission City took place, Sam and Mikaela have returned to their daily lives, but with Autobot protection trailing behind. A childhood friend of Mikaela's notices something odd with the two and investigates, unintenionally discovering a extraterrestrial race and catching the attention of a certain yellow and black scout.
1. Observant

ob·serv·ant

əbˈzərvənt/

adjective

1.

quick to notice things.

 _ **October 18th, 2007**_

 _ **Thursday**_

 _ **?**_

 _ **8:00 A.M**_

 _ **High-school**_

"We have been studying the mind itself for nearly three months, and most of you have shown marvelous progress. Now, on to today's lesson."

 _In case you were wondering, this is psychology class, something I have for second period. Most of the students here are juniors, like myself, partially sophomores, and the freshmen went extinct for this hour._

As the professor in a classroom went on with her lecture, there were four rows of students with at least six seats down the line. Some had either been snoozing, about to fall asleep, staring into space, or taking down notes. In the second row to the right and near the middle, was me who had a black wired bound notebook opened on my desk with words written in lead.

 _Ah yes, that would be moi. Curly black hair, light brown complexion, and classic brown eyes; what a clichè look for any high schooler you'd happen to pass by._

"Hey," A familiar voice spoke in a whisper before I felt a folded paper triangle hit the side of my cheek. "Bellaaaa."

My eyes narrowed at the impact, glancing down at the pointy paper before two of my fingers carefully lifted it up. A loud 'psh' made me roll my eyes, my head turning as my sight landed on a ombre haired girl to my left who was smiling with a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.

 _Well, you already have a sense of what my name is; Isabella, Isabella G. Sainte. But, I'd prefer to be called Bella since it feels just a little uncomfortable hearing my full name. That girl who acts like the Cheshire Cat is one of my most trusted friends, Jordan King. She's the one who'd usually be up to date with fashion, any sarcastic or sassy remarks, burns, etc. Her confidence to speak her mind makes her well known around campus basically._

"Yes Jordan?" I asked through my clenched jaw before crumpling up the small paper and putting it down on the right edge of my desk before flicking it elsewhere.

"Are you staying after school? I forgot to ask over text." She sheepishly shrugged.

"For softball practice, yes," I glanced over at the teacher, making sure her attention was towards the other students before looking back at Jordan. "I'm not sure if I'll have time to hang out with you and the girls."

"Aw what? That's shitty, Bella. And here I thought you wanted to snoop around more about Mikaela and her sudden attraction to Sammy."

"That was a month ago, I'm not going to question it anymore. I've given my blessing, Mickey's happy, Sam's alright, and she's not with that jock head anymore," My hand raised before it went back on my desk. "It's great."

"It's great?" Jordan raised a brow as I nodded. "Trent's been hitting on you, me, the other girls," Her nose scrunched up. "It's a sad sight dude."

"Well, he's been unsuccessful, so it shouldn't really matter." My lips twitched to the side in a thoughtful manner before I looked back at the teacher.

"Dude, do I have to remind you we both encounter him when we leave the locker room after practice?"

"Only occasionally. . I mean we do avoid him." I mumbled, trying to put the icing on this terrible cake.

"Yeah, try to." The sarcasm she put on 'try' made me look back at my notes in shame.

"Did you see him yesterday or something?"

"Duh, I had pool practice, what do you think?"

I raised my hands half-way in surrender for Jordan to see, "Chill, it was just a question, no need for sass."

"Bitch."

"Love you too." I smiled sarcastically in her direction before going back to listening in on the lecture, catching up on what I missed just by paying attention at what our teacher said.

 _Ok, so maybe I was lying about the whole 'no more questioning' thing, but hey! If you knew Mikaela Banes the way I did growing up, you'd feel like something was off when she introduced her new boyfriend, Sam Witwicky. A quiet kid, who got beat pretty badly in a football tryout last year that she didn't even know a week before somehow ends up being in a relationship with her. Last time I remember, Mickey was into the guys with 'tight abs and really big arms' as she put it. She ended up with Trent DeMarco of the football team, and I was disapproving to say the least. He didn't really care much for me giving consent which didn't really bother me, though it did with Mikaela since she considered me a best friend. Surprisingly though, Sam pursued me for acceptance for nearly two weeks of school after meeting me, and I eventually grew a soft spot to like the guy. He wasn't so bad, not as bad Trent which was better than nothing. That wasn't what bothered me though once I came to be friends with him, what bothered me was the fact that the air between the two felt odd, as if they were hiding something. Call me crazy, but, the way they acted at times was rather questionable. I know I seem like a nosy person, but, I swear I'm not always like this._

The bell rang, making me perk up from my intense focus on the notes I was half-way finished writing. Crap. Students around were now getting up, grabbing their binders and bags.

"Alright class, as you already know, tomorrow we will be having a quiz, so be prepared and study." The teacher pointed her finger towards one junior student that I had in my gym class. "That goes for you, Mr. Alvarez."

"Two more periods and then lunch," Jordan said with a small huff from my left as I collected my things. "God, I'm so grateful it's almost the weekend."

I couldn't help but smile as a small laugh escaped my lips, "Ditto to that, hallelujah~" Shifting the strap of my backpack onto my left shoulder, I held my binder with my right hand as it loosely hanged by my side.

We both headed out of the row with ease, having been one of the last students to leave. Once we were out of the classroom and in the middle of the hallway, we both looked at each other.

"Well, I'll see you at lunch hopefully," Jordan said with a small smile before waving goodbye. "See ya, Bella." She then turned and walked down the left of the hallway, heading for the stairs that led to the third level.

"Bye, J." I turned to my right, getting into the lane of students headed down where I'd eventually have to turn to my right once I reached the musical, visual, and artistic part of the school; piano class.

 _ **October 18th, 2007**_

 _ **Thursday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **11:45 A.M**_

 _ **High-school**_

After thirty minutes of practicing piano from the Alfred Basic Piano Course book for class, I headed to Astronomy which took another whole thirty minutes before it was finally lunch. As any other day, my usual crowd of friends all sat in the cafeteria at a fairly long table.

"So, do you think you can squeeze in time for us, Bells?" Jordan inquired from my right.

"Dunno," I twirled around a fork on the table, I apparently grabbed it with an absent mind in the lunch line a few minutes ago. "Practice will start like what? Ten or twenty minutes later?"

"Try to make time, Bells. We seriously need to talk about Sam."

I groaned, rolling my eyes, "Seems like Sam is the new popular topic around here."

"Is that irritating?" A brown skin toned friend asked with an amused look.

"No. . Urg, shut up, Mia."

 _The girl sitting in front of me looking pleased with my reaction is Mia Youngblood, another good friend of mine. She's known as that pretty loner you'd usually see and just get the urge to talk to. She's literally the definition of 'young and reckless'. Unfortunately, she can see through anyone like an open book, which helps with her ability to be a therapist._

"I thought you liked Sammy boy." Jordan snidely commented.

"I do," I hissed, already feeling irritated with the peculiar looks given in my direction. "I would just like to hear about something else other then Witwicky."

"Woah, we're on a last name bias now girls." Mia teased as the others around giggled.

"Alright, alright! Just. ." I took in a deep breath before exhaling. "Just tell me what is so interesting about him at the moment."

"Have you seen his new ride?" Julie asked with twinkling eyes.

"I wouldn't call it 'new'," Becca spoke up, looking at the brunette for a moment. "I'd say new by a month."

"Yeah, apparently Sam trashed his old vintage crap of a car for a new and improved sexy one." Rachel wiggled her eyebrows.

"A sexy one, huh?"

"Yeah, check it out!" Julie pulled out her phone, unlocking it with no haste before showing the screen to me.

". . Wow." I was dazzled to say the least. A shiny 2007 yellow and black Chevrolet camaro was pictured with Sam on the side who was looking down into his hands as he walked towards the vehicle. I leaned forward, squinting my eyes; keys were in his hands. "Mickey talked about Sam having a sweet ride. . But I didn't think it looked that. ." So many words jumbled in my head just to describe the car, it made me stutter on my words.

"Right?!" Becca squealed as Julie then put her phone away. "It's gorgeous!"

"I'd kill to have a ride in that beast."

"I wonder why." An awkward smile shifted on my face as I leaned back, letting the two continue to babble about the vehicle.

"It's still hard to believe two weeks ago you were skeptical of him and now you guys are buddy-buddy." Jordan said quietly, making me turn to look at her.

"Yeah, you said the guy made you so agitated when he ran after you whenever he had the chance." Mia chimed in.

I shrugged, "I guess my opinion on him changed."

Jordan snorted, "Yeah, for now."

"Hey," I pursed my lips before grabbing my water bottle as I screwed the lid off. "I'm sure my opinion won't change. Sam's a good guy, and I think he'd be a good change in romantic interest for Mickey." I then lifted the bottle, taking a sip of water.

"True." Mia agreed.

"It's definitely better than that dick wad Trent." My ombre hair colored friend added which made me nearly burst out with laughter.

"Oh yes, definitely." I nodded.

"Good luck with dealing with that asshat after school." My dark haired friend said as I groaned.

"Please, don't remind me."

Mia grinned, "Hopefully you'll use your magical ways and drive him off." She raised her hands, wiggling her fingers as if she was casting a spell.

"Haha," I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"Well, at least we'll have some time to hang out before your practice even begins," Jordan pointed out. "No Trent zone then."

"Yeah," I sighed with content at the thought. "That's gonna be nice."

"Alright, let's stop talking," The fashionista clapped her hands together. "I'm starving and this food is tempting me."

"Gross," My nose scrunched up. "That's lunch food, J."

"Its amazing lunch food if you're starving!"

"That is true."

"Are you seriously taking her side?"

"Only because no one else will."

 _ **October 18th, 2007**_

 _ **Thursday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **3:30 P.M**_

 _ **High-school**_

I walked out from the locker rooms, brushing back my hair from touching my forehead very carefully. The feeling of the cold breeze that signaled the incoming winter weather made me smile, eyes closing briefly.

"Great practice today, Bella."

My eyes opened and landed on a fellow member of the softball team who was walking away from the back of the school. I raised my hand with a light smile, "Yeah, good job." With an exhausted sigh, I turned my head, shifting the strap of my duffel bag before heading around the corner of the building to the front.

 _I took at least twenty minutes before softball practice to hang out with my friends. What was most amusing about it was Becca and Julie talking with Mickey about the camaro, poor girl look completely frazzled. Once I announced my departure, Mickey took the others to hang out at a coffee shop she conveniently found last Saturday. Before they could leave, I asked if Jordan could drop off my backpack at my house which she gleefully accepted; she's a neighbor. Practice was thankfully over after an hour, and now I was off to home._

I tugged on my white shirt, feeling uncomfortable with the sweat from the softball drills sticking to it. After that, I raked my hand through my frizzy locks, walking down the student parking lot as I then let out a quiet sigh.

"Hey, Bella~"

Ew. It's him. The one person I wanted to avoid these past hours. Trent, and his group of friends behind that large black truck of his.

". . Do I know you?" My right eye looked him over as I raised a brow, stopping in place.

"It's Trent," He laughed. "Come on now, don't act like a stranger, we're good friends, remember?"

'Kill me now.'

"I wouldn't know," I plastered a smile on my face. "You see, if I was your friend I'd probably have half the IQ I have now, actually, it'd be close to nothing. If you put the pieces together, I think it should be pretty easy for someone as idiotic as you to understand that there is no friendship here."

Trent just chuckled the comment off with his friends, "I like 'em when they're feisty," He stepped forward, making me take a step back. "I know you don't have a ride, and since I'm a generous man, I thought I could offer the pretty girl one."

"If you get near me, I swear I'm going to pull out my baseball bat and hit you silly, twat."

"Hey, hey, hey," A familiar voice cut in, making me turn my head to see Sam who came over, his hand on my upper back. "She's already got a ride. . I'll be the one taking her home."

I hesitated, looking at Trent who gave him an infuriated expression, before glancing at Sam as I nodded, lowering my head slightly. This was my only escape.

"Come on." The brown haired teen then led me away, hurrying me along down the student parking lot.

My heart nearly stopped at the sight of the yellow and black camaro. God damn it looked even more gorgeous in person then in that photo. I fiddled with the strap of my duffel bag, watching the brown haired teen go around the car, getting into the driver's side as I got into the passenger's.

"Alright," He spoke under his breath, his keys already in the ignition as the car engine roared to life, making even him surprised before he looked back at the car lot. "Let's get you out of here."

When the camaro backed out of its parking spot carefully, it drove out of the student parking lot and into the street, soon driving away from the school. The passenger window rolled downmuch to my content as I leaned out, my right elbow resting on the side as my hand messily ran through my locks as they blew in the wind.

". . You can just drop me off down the corner," I looked at Sam. "You don't have to take me to my house-"

"No. No, no, no, no," He shook his head, glancing at me before back at the road ahead. "I'd be happy to drop you off to your home, Bella. It's the gentlemen thing to do for a lady."

I couldn't help but smile before I looked back out, "Alright, if you insist." He was too nice, it made me feel bad he had to be surrounded by pricks like Trent.

"M-Mikaela told me you uh. . You had softball practice after school today."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhm."

"Is that why you were conveniently outside with your car?"

"Huh? O-Oh no, I'm not like a stalker or anything if that's what you think, I-I was just staying after school to help Miles."

"Oh," I nodded slowly. "That makes sense."

"Yup."

Geez, it felt extremely hot, uncomfortably hot at that. It was probably because of the sweat. Shit.

My eyes turned to look at Sam, ". . I'm sorry that I'm. . So sweaty right now." I couldn't help but awkwardly smile.

"Oh no, it's alright-"

"I'm really sorry if I ruin your car's interior-" God, that would suck if I did.

"N-No no, it's cool, it's fine-" Sam was cut off when the radio came blaring to life.

" **It's getting hot in here, so hot, so take off all your clothes**

 **I am, getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off**

 **It's getting hot in here, so hot, so take off all your clothes**

 **I am, getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off. .** " The one song from Nelly continued playing as the vehicle came to a stop at a red light.

". . Um-" Before I could even speak, I saw Sam's hand land on the dashboard harshly as a strike.

"Sorry, it's just. . Got a few kinks in it." He continuously hit it until the sound of the radio whirring into silence made him stop.

"You should uh. . Take it to a professional to get that fixed then." Well, that definitely made things awkward.

"Yeah," He took in a deep breath, soon continuing to drive down the road. "So, what's your address?"

I answered the question with reluctance, my elbow leaning off the side before I leaned back on my seat. My eyes were on Sam until I took a glimpse at the radio, ". . Does this happen often?"

"No, not as much as it did before-"

" **I want to know what love is, I want you to show me.**

 **I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me."**

I watched Sam hit the dashboard until the song went off, "Quite an interesting playlist you got there."

"Yeah, it is. My car can act so inappropriate at times, you know?"

"You talk as if it's actually at fault for having a few problems that can easily be fixed in a day or so. Or because this actually is a playlist you put together to play."

"I-"

"So nice, so nice, well I got you~!"

". . Sam, is this some sort of joke?"

"No! God, I am so sorry, I don't want you to think that I'm doing this on purpose. This isn't a playlist, and if it was I would definitely not play this with a friend!"

" **Wo! I feel good, I knew that I wouldn't of~**

 **I feel good, I knew that I would**

 **So good, so good, 'cause I got you**

 **So good, so good, 'cause I got you**

 **So good, so good, 'cause I got you~!** "

This made me very doubtful of his plea. I knew he wasn't all that innocent. . But this? These songs that continued to play were just provoking. How can a car possibly play these on its own? Is that even possible? God how I wanted this ride to be over soon.

Eventually, we did arrive to my cozy suburban home after fifteen minutes went by. The radio didn't suddenly come to life with another song as it had become quiet. Same went for Sam's pleas, apologies, and stuttered explanations.

When Sam parked to the other side of the road, it was silent, and not in a great way.

". . Look, I," He sighed. "I'm so sorry about the radio glitches, the songs, and-"

I raised my hand, silencing him as I then grasped the strap of my duffel bag, "I'm honestly tired, and this can wait for tomorrow for whatever explanation you have." I then opened the passenger door, getting out as I closed the door behind me.

"Bella, wait!"

I turned my head to look at him with narrowed eyes, waiting for him to say what he needed to. I just wanted to get inside and sleep.

". . Please don't tell Mikaela about this." He squeaked.

'Of course.' I rolled my eyes, irritatingly growling for a short moment as I turned away, finally heading towards my home.

 **A/N; This took a surprisingly short amount of time to put together; two days**

 **That has to be the shortest time I've ever worked on a chapter at this many words /)•3•(\**

 **Not too long to find the right song for this chappy though lol**

 **It's catchy B)**

 **I'll probably be focused on writing more of this and my other TF fanfic.**

 **Yeyeyeye.**

 **Hopefully you enjoyed this first chapter~ .;**

 **I plan on writing in Bella's family next chapter so ja**

 **Until next time I decide to update :D**


	2. Misunderstanding

mis·un·der·stand·ing

ˌmisˌəndərˈstanding/

noun

a failure to understand something correctly.

 _ **October 19th, 2007**_

 _ **Friday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **10:16 P.M**_

 _ **Home residence**_

 _When I came back home the night before, the bizarre ride home given to me by Sam stuck to my brain like gum on a shoe. Eventually it faded away from my thoughts, but, just as I feared, I was reminded of it._

I was now sitting on the couch in my home living room, a bag of opened Cheetos on the coffee table which was carelessly left behind, the TV remote, and a plastic cup filled with fruit punch. A bowl of popcorn rested on my lap as I took some of it in my hand, eating it as my eyes were glued to the screen as it was playing one of my favorite movies; _Shaun of the Dead_. I grasped the cup of punch with my free hand, lifting it to my lips as I took a short sip before putting it back down.

The current scene was when Shaun and Ed came back to their home at night, completely wasted as they jammed out to some electro record that the protagonist managed to buy earlier on. That was when the serious one of the three, Pete, stormed in and took out the disc before tossing it out the nearby window. One of my personal favorite parts of the film matter of fact.

"Bella," The soft voice made me look back to see my barely awake mother who was peaking from the stairway that led up to the bedrooms. "Could you turn the volume down, sweetheart?"

"Oh, sure," I nodded. "Sorry."

"Don't stay up too late. You know how I am when I can't get any sleep." Was the last thing she said before I heard her footsteps go back up the stairs.

I grabbed the TV remote immediately, pressing the '-' for the volume to go down as I made sure it was at an acceptable level. Wouldn't want mother dearest to get snappy at me, she can be scary.

'Crap, I didn't get my blanket.' My bottom lip twitched in annoyance before I tossed the remote to my right, putting the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table besides the Cheetos bag afterwards. As soon as I got up to my feet, I heard my phone vibrate from the couch, making me turn to pick it up and look at the notification; a text message from Mickey.

 **Mikaela; Open the door :p**

That was when the doorbell rang from the front. I shut off my phone screen, taking a step forward as I felt the wooden floorboard quietly creak.

"Bellaaa, MB is here!" My step-bother shouted from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I know," I rolled my eyes before padding over from the living room to the front door, unlocking it as I saw my childhood friend standing outside with a smile. "Hey Mickey, what brings you here?"

"What?" She laughed. "I can't visit?"

"Well, it's pretty late, and usually you don't stop by unless-"

"Hey MB!" I felt myself stumble forward at the sudden weight that came on my back. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Hey, Adrien." The amusement laced in Mikaela's voice was easy to hear.

My eyes narrowed, "You little-!" When I tried pulling my younger step-brother off my back, he already hopped off, standing beside me with a loop side grin.

 _My step-brother, or should I say step-bother, Adrien Davis. He's a year younger than me, making him a sophomore, and he's related to my step-father; go figure. It's easy to put the pieces together, right? He's basically a pain in the ass, particularly mine, but we get along in a strange way._

"I can't see you as much because of your new boyfriend hogging you- Hey!" He laughed as I got him into a neck hold.

"She _obviously_ came here to talk to me, not you." I cut him off, giving him a harsh noogie until he managed to squirm away.

"You're lucky I have homework, otherwise I'd totally steal her from you." Adrien teased before walking over to the kitchen.

"In your dreams!" I shouted.

There's always next time!" He yelled back in response.

I shook my head as Mikaela burst with laughter, "Seems like I've been missed."

"Oh yes," I couldn't help but smile before taking a step to the side. "Come on in, Ms. Banes." I stuck out my tongue as she rolled her eyes, giving me a joking push while she stepped in.

"Oh how polite you are, Ms. Sainte." She mocked, her back turned as she had been looking back at me with a charmed smile.

"Why thank you~" I said with an exaggerated short humble bow as I kicked the front door close, walking over to her.

The both of us then headed into the living room. When I reached the couch, with my back to it, my body fell onto the furniture as I let out a short huff. I noted Mikaela who had been looking over the lounge.

"I see you guys still have a roomy place to relax." She spoke, soon sitting besides me as I straightened myself up.

"Well, it wouldn't be so nice if Connor and my mother didn't have such well-paying jobs." I shrugged.

Mikaela visibly cringed, "You _still_ call your step-dad by his first name?"

"It just feels weird calling him dad when he's really not," A sigh escaped my lips before I ran my hand through my hair briefly. "Especially when I know my real one is somewhere still out there just. ." I trailed off.

"Though I don't have any step parents, I can understand your perspective on this situation-"

"Mm."

"I'd feel pretty odd calling someone I didn't grow up with dad, but since Mr. Davis is such a great guy, I think he deserves hearing you say that title."

I groaned at that, my head rearing back as it hit the outside of the couch. How many times have I even heard this?

Mikaela raised her hands in a surrendering motion, "But, if you're not comfortable with saying it, then you definitely should not force yourself to."

 _Connor Davis, my step father that married my mother seven years ago. He waltzed into our lives after he managed to swoop her off her feet after my real father disappeared a year before. Let's just say ten year old me wasn't too happy, even now I'm not. The concept of step-parents had always been something for me to dislike; it felt like I was replacing the person who raised me most of my life, who I cherished, and who I looked up to. Even when my mother and friend scolded me about being childish, I couldn't bring myself to call Connor 'dad'. It felt false._

"Why is it that _I'm_ made to look like the bad guy in this scenario?" I mumbled, grabbing a throw pillow to my right before pressing it against my face.

"It's been so many years, and you're _still_ not used to having Mr. Davis around."

"Hearing you say 'Mr. Davis' makes me cringe very hard, Mickey." I said, muffled from under the pillow.

"You hear me say it all the time every time I've come over before," Mikaela's laugh caught my ears. "Are you telling me you cringe behind my back?"

". . Maybe." I lifted the pillow from my face, glancing at her as she shook her head, taking the furniture item away.

"Look, I know that you really hate how your step-father was pushed into your life, but, you're gonna have to at least act more kindly towards him. Whether you like it or not he's a part of your life now," She nudged me. "I know you can act grown up about this, Bella."

". . I hate how wise you sound." I grumbled as she only grinned from ear to ear.

"Well, if Mia's advice isn't going to work on you most of the time, I might as well try with my own, right?"

"I suppose so," When I lifted my head so I was once again resting against the couch with my back. "So, what'd you _really_ come here to talk about?"

Mikaela shifted in her seat, hands resting on her lap as she twiddled her thumbs quietly before answering, "I heard about what happened with Sam and his. . Camaro."

That took me by surprise; what exactly did she hear? Who exactly _did_ Sam tell that would have blabbered to Mikaela afterwards? Was it some fabricated rumor?! Oh god, what if she actually believed it?

Grabbing the large bag of Cheetos, I offered it to her with an unnerving smile and raise of my eyebrows, ". . Cheetos?"

"Sam told me himself, relax," She looked at the bag before raising a brow as she pushed it aside. "And no thank you. I'm pretty sure Adrien's fingers were in there."

I shuddered with realization, soon dropping the bag onto the ground before looking back at her, "Sam told you so you decided to come to me to talk about it. .?" And here I thought he didn't want his girlfriend knowing.

Mikaela nodded, "He thinks you're pissed with him, but, I can vouch for him about what happened."

"So he couldn't talk with me about this the next day himself?"

"Like I said before, he thinks you're pissed with him, and he is very frightened of that side of you."

"Good, he _should_ be." I pursed my lips as she chuckled.

"Don't tell him I told you," She cleared her throat. "But anyways, about the camaro, it can be glitchy. One minute it'll be on one station, then the next it'll just be scrolling through other ones at random unintentionally."

"And this includes weird suggestive songs playing one after the other?" I questioned with a raised brow, not entirely believing it.

"Oh yes," She laughed, which confused me, before she re-gained her composure with a small smile. "I-It tends to happen around me and Sam as well, we both know how you feel. It can be annoying when it switches from one different song to another, it can even be startling. I'm personally working on the kinks so it won't seem so. . Perverted. Sam wasn't trying to pick you up, I think he's smart enough to know that's a no-no."

'If Mikaela was working on it, then it shouldn't be acting up anymore, right? Knowing how skilled she was with cars, along with her father, everything _should_ be fine. That's reassuring to hear.'

"Well. . I guess no more strange song malfunctions?"

"No more strange song malfunctions." She repeated with a giggle.

I sighed with relief, "That's good. . How did he even tell you about it?"

Mikaela's lips pursed in a thoughtful manner as she recalled last night, "Well. . He seemed pretty urgent about it all. So I rushed right over to his place and he just told me what happened straight off the bat."

"Well. . At least he's a honest boyfriend and not hiding things," I rubbed my temples. "I'm not sure if I overcomplicated the situation by overreacting, but Mickey. . That car was playing songs that were just not-"

"Appropriate, I know," She finished my sentence. "I don't blame you for the way you reacted, the first time that happened to me I got pretty agitated too. Just don't go pointing fingers at Sam for what happened, it was his car."

That made put me at ease, though it brought a question to mind, "Do I owe him an apology?"

"No, _you_ just need to give a thank you for that free ride."

"I told him he didn't have to drive me home," I muttered. "But he just insisted on it."

"Well, you still got a ride home, so be thankful."

"I am, and I'll say thank you as soon as I see him," I grumbled as my childhood friend laughed before a bothering topic came to mind. ". . Mickey, could I ask you something?"

"Um, sure, what is it?"

". . You wouldn't. . Hide anything from me. . Right? Like keep a secret?" My eyes darted down towards my lap after I asked that.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just. ." I licked my lips, trying to find the right words to explain before I just shook my head. "N-Never mind. It's stupid."

"You can ask me anything, Bella. What is it?" The feeling of Mikaela's hand on my lap and the sound of concern in her voice made it even harder.

'I feel like you wouldn't answer honestly anyways. Why even ask a question like that, Bella?' I mentally scolded myself.

"Things feel different is all, with the atmosphere, like there's something hidden," I admitted partially, taking a quick glance at her before immediately looking at the TV, remembering the movie playing. "Have you ever gotten that feeling?"

'A month ago, everything seemed normal, now things just seem silently out of balance.'

"Well of course, everything and everyone has a secret to keep or share in this world. . Is something bothering you that's related with secrets, Bella?"

I soon looked back at her, forcing a smile, "Maybe it's just me being paranoid. Some things have just been brought to my attention." Psh, yeah, for a month!

"Well I'm here for you, and if it keeps bothering you, don't hesitate to talk with me about it," My friend smiled warmly, her hand lifted to my shoulder as she patted it. "But hey, just in case you're worried, I'll tell you anything, Bella. We're bonded for life, sister, don't forget that."

I snorted at that, laughing with a shake of my head, "Sisters for life. . Yeah, we are," I wrapped an arm around her which turned into a hug as she returned it. "No secrets in this sisterhood?"

"No secrets."

"Alright," I pulled away, gesturing over to the TV. "Wanna watch _Shaun of the Dead_?"

"Sure." Mikaela laughed.

Though she did say there wouldn't be secrets, I couldn't ignore the nagging in the back of my head. Something was amidst, and I had a feeling it has a connection with Sam and Mikaela getting into a relationship. But what exactly?

 _ **October 19th, 2007**_

 _ **Friday**_

 _ **Mikaela**_

 _ **11:40 P.M**_

 _ **Sainte/Davis residence**_

"So we hang out Sunday?"

"Yup, just the two of us and catch up on things without everyone else around."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks for stopping by Mickey, even if it was only for your boyfriend's sake."

"It wasn't all for him, Bella. I was worried about you after Sam told me how you reacted y'know. Goodnight bestie."

"Night~"

The front door to my friend's house shut, and I turned around, walking over to the parked yellow and black camaro while thinking back to the conversation we held.

"If only you knew, Bella. . If only you knew," I muttered under my breath until the sound of radio static came from the rolled down driver's window which made me stop. "I'm fine. Thanks for waiting, 'Bee. I'm surprised Sam even let you out of the house after that little stunt you pulled on Bella." I teased as I approached.

" **Let's not - talk about that. The past is in the past.** "

"It was literally a day ago," I laughed before opening the driver's door, getting inside as I closed the door behind me. "Don't expect it to blow off so soon. You know how Sam is."

" **Don't remind me.** "

Even if it was only radio and music snippets, I could tell the Autobot groaned when he used that piece. It was sad the big guy couldn't use his actual voice, but, that didn't stop me from being positive with Ratchet's ability to get it fixed soon. Hopefully.

I patted the wheel, "You'll be fine. Once I tell Sam he's in the clear of Bella's wrath, he'll loosen up."

" **Cross your fingers.** "

I raised my hand, hoping Bumblebee could see as I crossed my two fingers with a raise of my eyebrows and smile, "Crossing 'em," Once I lowered my palm, the sound of the engine starting up signaled me to buckle myself up. "Alright, take me home, 'Bee."

 **"Roger that~** "

As soon as we took off down the street, I watched the inner car mechanisms switch and turn on their own. Even after a month, it felt strange to see Bumblebee drive, I mean, he was still a car. When I shifted in my seat, I glanced at the radio as it had been playing soft music before looking at the road ahead.

I pondered; what could possibly be bothering Bella so much she couldn't tell me?

 **A/N; I'm on a chapter writing two-day spree /)•^•(\**

 **Though this chapter was more harder than the last to put together ^^'**

 **Thanks for reading up to this point~**


	3. Chase

chase

CHās/

verb

1.

pursue in order to catch or catch up with.

 _ **October 20th, 2007**_

 _ **Saturday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **10:30 A.M**_

 _ **Home residence**_

After getting up with at least eight hours of rest, with a nice breakfast thirty minutes earlier, I changed into my exercise clothing; gray fitness tank top and black sweats. My dirty white sneakers were waiting for me downstairs by the front door.

"Saturday morning jog, just as scheduled," I grabbed a black hair tie from my dresser, quickly putting my locks into a high pony tail. The sound of my phone vibrating loudly on my bed made me stride over, picking it up as I answered. "Hello?"

"Bella, its Jordan."

"I figured since your caller ID showed. What's up? You're usually never up this early." In her terms and everyone who knew her sleeping schedule, _this_ was early.

"I know, but, I only got up because I wanted to get a glass of water-"

"Mmhm." I picked up my pajamas, putting them onto my bed to fold for later as I headed for the door to leave my room.

"And when I walked into the kitchen to get one, I heard Button barking. Naturally I immediately went to investigate, and when I did I saw Sam's camaro through the kitchen window."

That made me stop in my tracks, ". . Sam's camaro?"

"Yeah! It was like driving by, but really _really_ slow. Bella, I'm a bit scared."

"Why? Did you see Sam driving?"

"No! I didn't! That's what makes it scary!"

I opened my bedroom door, walking out as I walked down the hall towards the stairs leading down to the main floor, "Look, I'll go check it out. Maybe it's just another camaro that someone else owns or they could be lost in the neighborhood."

"You make it sound less frightening," Jordan's laugh was shaky. "I'm praying you're right."

"Yeah, just keep an eye on the car and I'll see what I can do." I responded, going down the stairs as I headed to the front door which was inches away from my sight.

"What exactly _can_ you do, Bella? What if some crazy person is driving it?!"

"Or maybe it's some homicidal maniac." I added with amusement, soon slipping on my sneakers that were neatly put to the side of the door. I then got on a knee as I tied my shoes, switching the phone from one hand to another during the process.

"This isn't funny, Bella! Anything is possible!"

With a huff, I got back up to my feet, "I doubt that very much, J." All ready to go-!

"Bella." A scolding voice spoke up, catching my attention as my head turned to see my step-father who was behind me.

". . Relax," I sighed, glancing at the front door; so close! "I'm going to put you on hold for a second, alright?"

"Ok, I'll update you on anything that might happen."

"Got it," With that, I muted my mic so she wouldn't hear what I'd be saying as I turned to face Connor. "Yes?"

"Are you really going out for a jog in _that_ sort of outfit?"

My gaze went downwards as I checked over myself before looking back up at him, "Yeah, it's kinda what I've been wearing for jogs these past two years."

He sighed, rubbing his face before looking at me with weary blue eyes, "At least put a jacket on."

". . Why?"

"It's getting cold."

He was concerned. "Oh, um, thanks for the suggestion, but I'm sure I'll be fine-"

"Sweetheart," My mother appeared, behind my step-father who only shook his head as she walked around him, holding out _his_ dark green jacket. "Please, put a jacket on. We wouldn't want you getting sick."

My lips tightened in an irritated way. Now I definitely couldn't say no. After a second of silence, I took the jacket from her hand with my free one, finally exiting my home once that was done. I grudgingly put the jacket on, feeling my mother's eyes from the kitchen window as I walked by.

"It's not like it's cold right now. ." I grumbled with a pout. "I'm not going to freeze to death on the spot."

 _The jacket smelled of dry woods, which was a little displeasing to my nose. This was probably Connor's hunting jacket; yes, that was one of my step-father's many manly hobbies. Let's try not getting into that topic._

"Bella! BELLA!"

The shouts from my phone made me un-mute my mic in that instant as I began fast walking down the sidewalk, "I'm here, J, I'm here. What happened?"

"The camaro just parked next to my neighbor's house," She said in a horrified whisper. "It's literally a few feet away from my own home. What should I do?"

"Nothing," I sighed, looking at the street to my left as a few cars drove by. "Just keep calm, I'll be over there soon."

"Hurry!" She practically squeaked before the phone call ended.

Jordan's house wasn't _too_ far down the street, in fact it was right at the end of the corner. Stuffing my phone in my sweats pocket, I picked up my pace, jogging over to her home as quick as I could. When I reached that corner, I saw the yellow and black camaro which was idly parked to the other side of the street. Weird.

"Bella," The sound of a screen door opening and echoing footsteps on concrete stairs made me glance to see Jordan who came out from her home. "D-Do you see anyone in there?"

I looked back at the vehicle, squinting my eyes before putting my hands on my hips. I checked for any incoming cars, and when I saw there was none, I walked across the street to the yellow and black camaro, stopping when I reached the driver's door; no one was in there.

"What do you see?" Jordan asked in a shout.

". . Nothing," I muttered, peering through the window; the interior looked similar to Sam's car, but that's probably because it's the same generation of camaro. The person who owns this probably has a similar taste to Sam when it came to cars. "Did you see anyone come out?" I inquired in a yell, turning to look back at my friend as I leaned on the vehicle.

"No! Bella, that car could be driving on its own!"

My eyes rolled at that silly assumption; this was probably Jordan feeling highly anxious, "I doubt a car can drive on its own, J. You probably turned away when the driver stepped out." I leaned off the vehicle, jogging back over with no haste as my friend grabbed at her hair.

"T-That's impossible! I was watching it the whole time! Well. . Partially," She gnawed on her bottom lip. "I may have went back to getting that glass of water."

I shrugged, "Well, maybe we should just call an exorcist if it has no driver~" I joked, only to get a jab at my side in response.

"Oh my god, shut up! I don't want to talk demon talk! You're making me feel even more on edge, Bella." Jordan hissed.

"Sorry sorry," I stepped away from her. "Look, for starters, I'm positive that's someone else's camaro because Mikaela texted me about Sam coming over to her place. Secondly, I have a feeling the person driving probably stepped out when you left watch duty to get a glass of water."

"To go where though?"

"Maybe to that house it's parked in front of." I gestured over to the residence that was behind the car.

My ombre haired friend appeared to process it all in her silence before she slowly nodded, "I. . I guess that would make sense."

"Ya see?"

"Yeah."

"There's no need to get so panicked about someone else's camaro that looks like Sammy's, a lot of people own similar looking cars in the US," I patted her shoulder with a smile before turning around. "Now that this case is closed, I'm going to go out for my jog that my body so rightfully deserves."

"Thanks for coming and checking, Bella!" She shouted as I returned to walking down the sidewalk.

"No problem." I then started jogging, going down the sidewalk where my house was before heading down my usual route; pass my home and then continue going to the end of the street, go down the next to the other neighborhood, and then do a U turn when reaching the end of that sidewalk.

"Hello, Isabella."

I raised and waved my hand at the elderly woman who greeted me as I went by, "Hi, Ms. Jackson," That was when my phone began buzzing in my pocket, the vibrations signaling my hand to pull it out as I answered. "Yes?"

"Bella, it's the camaro!"

I rolled my eyes; this again? Seriously? "I thought we had an understanding that it's probably just someone else's camaro-"

"No, you don't understand, I see it moving on its own! No one got in the driver's side, the engine just started up by itself, and now it's driving down the street."

That made me slow down and stop where I was, ". . Where is it now?"

"I-I'm not sure, it's not showing up in any of the windows."

"Just keep me posted," I let out a huff as I continued jogging, still holding the phone. "I should finish my exercise in a few minutes or so."

"But this is more important than exercise, Bella! We're talking demon possessed camaros here!"

"I know," I spoke through heavy breaths as I picked up my pace, finally reaching the end of my street before turning to my left as I headed down the next. Families and owners of homes were outside either playing, talking, or mowing their lawn. "I-I'll be done before you know it."

"Jesus, Bella," I could hear Jordan groan over the phone, then footsteps came after on the speaker. "People could be in danger y'know!"

"I-I know, J, I know."

"Alright, I'm getting a better view from my room." The fashionista announced.

"See anything?"

"I-" She seemed to pause as it suddenly became silent.

Worriedly, I came to an immediate stop, "Jordan?" When no response came, my other hand came up to hold the phone close to my ear. "Jordan?"

"B-Bella it's-" Her response became static, her voice now becoming blurred as I pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Jordan?!" My eyes were locked on the screen before I raised it back up.

"I. . It's following-!"

"Following what?!" That's when the line went dead, a loud ear piercing sound making me cringe and lower the phone. "Shit!"

'Don't panic, Bella, don't panic,' I repeated in my head, going to Jordan's contact as I then pressed 'call' only to go straight to voicemail. 'Ok, maybe panic.'

"What the hell was that. .?" I muttered under my breath, unwillingly putting the electronic in my sweats pocket before brushing back a few loose strands of hair that blew in the light breeze. "She said something about the car following. . But what?"

An engine startlingly revving up from behind made my breath hitch. I felt frozen in place, until my head turned back to see what the source was, and it indeed was the yellow and black camaro. It seemed to roll forward a few inches, parking in the middle of the road afterwards.

". . You've _got_ to be kidding me," I muttered, turning to face the car. "Hey, if you're going to start following me than you might as well own up to it! I do see you!" When I took my first few steps forward, the sound of an incoming police siren wailing made me stop.

The camaro seemed to back up with no haste, its wheels screeching in the process before it made a harsh 'U' turn, driving down the road at a high speed and turning down the corner. A police car sped by, its red and blue light bar flashing brightly as it went the same direction the yellow and black car went.

'Maybe it really was some creep or something and the police were trying to catch him. God that would suck. I have to remember to check the news when I get back home.'

"Miss, may I ask you a few questions?"

The sudden voice made me turn my head to see a red shaggy haired man who stepped out from a Chevrolet cobalt SS from the looks of it. He had golden eyes and a smile that gave off a vibe I couldn't quite identify.

"Um. . Sure? Are you lost?" I crossed my arms, now feeling a bit safer with my step-father's jacket covering me up.

"No, but, I was just wondering if you knew these two," He opened the passenger door of his ride, pulling out two papers and holding them out to me after kicking the door close. "I'm a detective and my superiors have been looking for them for quite some time. What they've done is considered. . Unforgivable."

I hesitantly took the two papers, looking them both over as my eyes widened at the sight. Sam and Mikaela? These papers were their files!

'Oh god, how do I even respond?' I bit down on my lip anxiously. 'Mikaela could be in trouble.'

"I-I can't say I do. ." I handed him back the papers, stuffing my hands into the dark green jacket. Oh, real smooth, Bella!

"I hope you're not lying," He began walking in a circle around me. "My superiors say you're associated with Witwicky and his human femme."

'Human femme? I feel like I'm in danger, at least that's what my instincts are telling me in the back of my head. Now I feel on edge.'

"You must have me mistaken for someone else, sir–"

"No, I have the right girl," He stopped right in front of me, lifting his pointer finger as it faintly tapped against my cheek. "Isabella Sainte. You were with Witwicky exactly two earth days ago. . And that Autobot." He growled the last few words under his breath.

"Autobot— Who are you?" I turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. "If you're a detective, don't you think you should be a little more discreet with your investigations?"

He began laughing, "Oh, you humans are so ignorant it's amusing!" He wiped a tear from his eye, looking at his finger in disgust before looking back at me. "Unfortunately for you, Sainte, you'll be coming with me. You could be of use to the decepticons."

Decepticons? What the hell is that? This guy was crazy or on drugs. ". . I'm not getting in that car." I began to back up from him. If this was a detective, oh god, I'd get in so much trouble for resisting.

"No, you misunderstand, I'm not asking," Unexpectedly, the person I seemed to be talking to disappeared into nothing, and then the loud sound of gears clicking and shifting made me look to see a sight I thought I'd never see. The red car had shifted into a frighteningly large robot which made me turn pale. "I _will_ be taking you."

My eyes dilated as a rush of fear went through my heart, "W. . What-" I let out a shout of surprise, lurching to the side and onto the lawn of a person's home when a large metal hand tried snatching me up from where I stood.

Screams of surprise and panic rose in the air, the sight of people rushing down the street met my eyes when I scrambled up to my feet.

"I haven't seen so many humans running around before," The large robot spoke just as I began running into the crowd of people who were headed to a safe zone. "Oh? You're gonna run? You just made this a lot more exiting, human!"

Parents carried children, some of the kids running on their own, and some adults glanced back but continued dashing to stay in the large crowd. It was hectic. Some shoved while I pushed past others most of the time, trying to get ahead. I didn't want to get caught, and I definitely did not want to look back either.

'Large robots that transform into cars. . I've clearly been missing out!'

We continued running for at least ten minutes, now away from my neighborhood and passing any other ones. A harsh push to my shoulder made me perk up, looking to see the large crowd was now rushing inside town square, heading for any cover they could find. Citizens who had been unaware were now made aware as their eyes visually widened as they then scattering. The ground rumbled, the sound of explosives and buildings getting hit were right behind me.

"You're making this more of a hassle then it has to be, human! But, this is _much_ more fun with more of your species in the mix!" It laughed darkly.

That made me think, not about my own safety, but the others around me. Though the large mechanical thing was after me for god knows what, it wasn't after the innocent who were running.

I raised my hands, holding both of them together against my chest before gritting my teeth, "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." I turned my direction, and instead of following the crowd, I ran towards a warehouse that looked to be near the forest. Heavy breaths left my lips as I ran to the entrance, pushing my way inside with force before looking around, 'Alright Bella, now you definitely gotta worry about your own safety.'

"What the hell can I even do. .?"

The building looked abandoned from the inside; a few white sheets hanging from the upper floor, construction tools, garbage scattered here and there, rusted walls, as well as some graffiti on them. It looks like this was a construction site no one bothered to continue working on. Geez.

I pulled out my phone from my sweats pocket, checking the cell service only to be disappointed with no bars. With a sigh, I put it into the jacket's pocket instead. Even if I did call the police, what could they do about giant robots?

My eyes landed on a dusty yellow nail gun that lay a few feet away, and I ran towards it immediately, grabbing it in my hands before checking it, "It's still got some ammunition in it. ." I muttered with a pant, the sound of the front building being smashed made me jump in surprise.

"You're making this almost too easy now, human."

Before I could be in its line of sight, I slid behind a column, lifting the nail gun with both hands up to my chest. My pointer finger was rested on the trigger rather shakily, I was worried I'd press it by accident.

"Come on out, I know you're in here."

I shut my eyes tightly, the booming sound of a chunk of the warehouse getting blown away ringing in my ears. My hands shook as I took in a deep breath, exhaling silently as my eyes re-opened. After that second, I darted as fast as I could over to a wall, crouching behind a dumpster. Now both of my pointer fingers were covering the trigger. Thankfully, my sight caught an exit way nearby.

"There's no point in running, Isabella, you'll only make this worse on your end."

When I peaked, I could see the massive red robot had his back turned, and I immediately took the chance to dash out the exit and into the empty back of the warehouse. I let out a heavy breath, feeling a bit of relief before continuing my hiding journey.

'Where to go, where to go, where to go,' I held the nail gun with my left hand now, scanning the vacant back as I bolted forward. Then, out of nowhere, another large robot skidded in front of me from around the corner. 'Crap!' When I turned around, I felt myself stagger back at the sight of the red robot who had been chasing me.

"We don't have time for playing with the human female, Swindle," The robot that had suddenly appeared hissed. "The Autobots and their human allies have arrived."

"What of Barricade?"

"What do _you_ think?" The robot snapped. "The scout was able to take him down with ease, he's onto us."

"My old nemesis," It rumbled before it got down to my level, making the ground rumble as I regrettably fell onto my bum. "Well, as entertaining as it was to chase you, I'm afraid this is where it ends."

With a shaky left hand, I raised the nail gun towards, what I assumed, was its glowing yellow eye, "I don't think so." With a drive to survive, I pressed the trigger as nails went flying at the robot. It jerked back in surprise, a few of them hitting its eye before one grazed it, making it crack.

"AGH! My optic!" It screeched, grabbing at the yellow center of its face.

Taking the opportunity, I changed the hold of the nail gun to my right hand, turning on my side as I got up to my feet, fleeing from the red robot. When I got close to the red eyed one, I raised the weapon towards it, prepared to shoot again.

Was this an adrenaline rush from the fear I was feeling?

Suddenly, a yellow and black bot came barreling in, slamming itself into the red eyed one who had been staring at me. It let out an electric roar, talking in a different language as they both tumbled onto the concrete ground. I wasn't sure whether to continue running or not, my feet were just sticking in place now as I watched the two.

'Another bot is. . Fighting another bot?' They both looked similar with species, build, gears, and mechanics. . Yet they were having a brawl. Were there any differences?

The yellow and black bot was shoved off by the other who shouted in the same untranslatable language before it was shot through the chest. The resounding gunshot made me jump, before I backed away, heading towards the warehouse.

"BUMBLEBEE!" The red robot bellowed, recovered from the nail graze before shooting towards the other who backed up.

Everything was happening so fast! I could barely keep up with the two as the yellow and black bot had been punched harshly, making it stagger back before it fired its cannon. My unfortunate gaze fell on the red eyed robot who had fallen from the powerful shot earlier. It had gotten up, practically staggering over to me with a hand over its metal chest. Droplets of something glowing blue hit the ground as it did, growling in my direction.

Before I could stop to raise and fire my nail gun, the yellow and black robot came back into the scene, grabbing the injured one and knocking it onto the ground a few feet away before stepping in front of me. I backed up onto the wall of the warehouse, looking up at the back of the bot.

'Wait. . Is it. . Defending me?'

Loud cannon shots confirmed my suspicion as it had shot towards the injured robot who attempted crawling over with its claw like hands. Its body soon stopped moving as its glowing red eyes powered down. It was now lifeless.

"Get out of the way, Autobot scum!" The red robot bellowed.

I could partially see the one golden eyed robot charge from the right from behind the mechanical legs. The yellow and black bot soon pounced towards him, closing the distance as the two went flying back into the woods. The loud sound of trees snapping made me flinch, and the visual I had on the two was soon gone. All I could hear was yells, shouts, metal clashing against metal for the next few minutes until it all just died down.

"Oh my god. ." I leaned off the wall, completely breathless; what did I just witness? Why couldn't I move?

I hesitated, taking the first few steps forward, glancing at the robot remains to my right as electric sparks ignited from its body at random. Metal footsteps made me turn to see the yellow and black robot who stepped over the smashed trees while exiting the forest. I noted it had a cannon where its hand would be, and then it turned to look in my direction. Crap.

Its eyes. . They weren't red or yellow like the other two, but a luminous blue with an unusual human tint to them. Maybe that was a way to distinguish them from other robots?

With a shaky sigh of relief, I watched the blue eyed robot walk towards me. Its cannon seemed to phase back into a large metal hand before it got down on a knee in front of me.

I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sight before finally speaking up, "Y-You saved me. . Thank you." I nodded.

It nodded back in response, " **You're welcome. You hurt?** " It was speaking through its radio speakers using snippets.

"No, I'm fine," I shook my head, feeling surprisingly at ease with the bot. "You came just in the nick of time."

" **Good** ," It nodded, its eyes shuttering close and open before it looked over at the robot remains. " **We - need to leave.** "

". . To where?"

" **To - the others. It's safer there**." It got up to its feet, its gears clicking as it shifted down into a familiar yellow and black vehicle.

"Wait a second, you're. . You're that camaro that was following me!"

The passenger door opened, **"All - for - good reasons**."

I crossed my arms, ". . You got some explaining to do on the road, big guy."

" **And - that - I will.** "

I was surprised to find myself walking towards the car, loosely holding the nail gun before letting out a huff as I slid in, the door closing behind me. My eyes scanned the interior, soon landing on the wheel that turned to the left on its own as the car began driving away from the warehouse. I shifted in my seat, putting the nail gun to my side while buckling myself up.

'Something feels familiar about this car. .' I glanced at the driver's spot, soon visualizing the person that made everything piece together.

"Wait are you. . Sam's camaro?"

That was when the familiar song by James Brown came onto the radio. That confirmed my suspicion. This was indeed the vehicle that played those songs at random when Sam drove me home.

I face palmed myself, "You've got to be kidding me."

 _ **October 20th, 2007**_

 _ **Saturday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **11:06 A.M**_

 _ **Alleyway**_

" **Here - we are.** "

The passenger door opened, and before I exited I made sure to grab the nail gun just in case, soon getting out of the vehicle. Closing the door behind me, I was surprised to see Mikaela who was beside Sam.

"Bella!" She ran over to me, her boyfriend trailing behind as she nearly tackled me with a hug once she reached me. "You're ok, oh my god, you're ok." When she pulled away, I could see her eyes were watery. Did she know?

I nodded with a sheepish look before gesturing to the camaro who transformed, "M-Mikaela did you know about-?"

"Him? Yeah," She let out a heavy sigh, brushing back her hair. "I-I wanted to tell you about 'Bee but I couldn't."

"What's this?"

"Huh?" I looked to see Sam who lifted my left hand which held the nail gun. "Oh, that's a nail gun."

"What were you even doing with it?"

"Well, Sammy, when I was being chased by this other bad robot, I picked it up from a warehouse, and then when I was almost kidnapped by it, I shot it in its one yellow eye," His hand lifted off of mine as I looked the tool over. "Freakin' cyclops."

"You shot a decepticon. .?" He looked baffled.

"Well yeah, I wasn't going to let it take me," I looked awkwardly from side to side, feeling the three's surprised stare. "And this was what I had to use in defense."

"And they didn't hurt you?" Mikaela looked at me with concern.

"No, Sam's camaro came just when they were about to," I responded, lowering the nail gun. "I'm surprised I even survived. ." With a short huff, I turned around, looking at the yellow and black bot who gazed down at me with a tilt of his head. "So this is what you guys were hiding for a month? Giant metal robots that can transform into cars?"

"Well, Bumblebee's my guardian," Sam spoke up. "He's gotta be here since it's his job."

I glanced at the brown haired teen before looking back at the yellow and black bot, "Bumblebee. . Is that your name?"

The robot nodded, " **One and only.** "

I then scratched the back of my head, everything that's happened still processing through my brain, ". . Just what the hell have you guys gotten yourself thrown into?" I questioned in a murmur.

"A completely different world," Mikaela said, the both of us soon looking at each other. "There's a lot to explain, and now that you know there's really no point in hiding this."

"If you let us, we'll tell you what you need to know," Sam added. "But you can't tell anyone about 'Bee or the other robots, even the bad ones. Not a word."

 _Just when I thought life couldn't get even stranger. Now I found myself standing with my longtime friend and her boyfriend with a tall metal robot who was revealed to be that boyfriend's ride. The knowledge of a different species was now locked in my brain, as well as the fact that I was now a part of keeping this secret._

My lips tightened, my eyes going from Sam to Mikaela silently before I sighed, ". . My lips are sealed. Just one question though, Sam."

"Yeah?"

"Does this mean your car was hitting on me?"

 **A/N; This chapter took longer than expected. Well, at least I'm finished with writing it.**

 **To be honest, I had a different idea in mind for how this was going to go, but to heck with all that! °˖** **(** **⁰** **⁰** **)**

 **I decided to go with this.**

 **Hopefully you enjoyed, sorry I'm not that amazing with writing a fight scene. I try.**


	4. Autobot

Autobot

Autobot(s) is a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron led by Optimus Prime, and the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers.

 _ **October 20th, 2007**_

 _ **Saturday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **12:30 P.M**_

 _ **Witwicky residence**_

"Just wait here with 'Bee, ok?"

"Ok."

After my question was asked, and put aside rather awkwardly, Sam had Bumblebee drive us all to his house for the explaining. Because of the minor damage to the city, we had to wait for a few minutes or more to get past some cars and accidents. There were soldiers that looked to be of a special force who escorted remaining citizens away from the scene. It was baffling to know an attack happened moments earlier.

I was now in Sam's family garage, sitting down on a creaky metal gray foldable chair that he pulled up for me. He took away my nail gun and put it to the side on a tool table before exiting. My elbows rested on my thighs as I leaned forward, my hands clasped together in front of me as my foot tapped on the ground naturally as I was thinking.

Even now this was difficult to take in; large alien robots roaming around in disguise on Earth, taking the forms of different types of transportation. How could Sam and Mikaela even keep this type of secret?

I felt a nudge on my left shoulder, glancing to see it was the yellow and black bot who whirred inquisitively. His pointer finger hovered above my head which made me raise a brow, "What?"

" **You look - conflicted**."

"Well, who wouldn't after discovering a hidden robot species?" I then turned in my seat, my legs resting on the side of it as my hand reached up for his large digit. I hesitated before my fingers wrapped around the cool metal, bringing it down to my eye level to look over curiously.

'This could distract me from my thoughts.' I flexed it, listening to the clicking sound it made which was similar to an ordinary robot moving in a sci-fi movie.

An electric sound made me perk up, my eyes landing on the robot who's own eyes seemed to have an intrigued shimmer in them. That was when I was able to identify the new sound as laughter.

"What's so funny?" I pursed my lips.

His digit soon moved through my grasp, tapping my forehead which made me blink in surprise at the contact, " **You. You're - like a child**." His electric chuckles continued.

"Y'know what," I puffed my cheeks, letting go of his finger before turning away with an exaggerated scowl, "You can have your finger back–" That was when his digit was practically shoved in my face, wiggling at a fast pace before I pushed it away with a uncontrolled laugh. "Stop, I don't want it!"

"Looks like you two are getting along."

The voice made us both turn to see Mikaela and Sam who were standing by the garage entrance. The dark green drape that covered the opening was lifted just a few inches upwards, soon being lowered back down behind them as they then stepped inside.

"'Bee, I thought we talked about the whole hitting on Mikaela's friend is a no-no." The brown haired teen looked at the bot with a perked brow.

The radio speakers came on with static, " **Sam**." Bumblebee sounded like a whining child to its scolding parent after doing something they thought was ok.

I snickered quietly, crossing my arms as I shifted in the seat to face the two, regaining my composure before clearing my throat, "He wasn't flirting, he was just. . Helping by distracting me from my thoughts."

"Aw, well that's kind of you to do, 'Bee," Mikaela said with a smile which made the robot's low groan lighten up. "He was just being nice." She whispered, loud enough for the three of us to hear as she nudged her boyfriend.

"Yeah, well, after what he did Friday, I'm still a bit skeptical of how he is around Bella."

"I have a feeling he won't be doing that any time soon," I raised my hands for a split second, letting them fall back onto my lap with a resounding thud. "Besides, you guys got some explaining to do. But, I think from what I heard, you already answered my first question."

Mikaela shrugged with the same smile on her face, "He found you to be. . Pretty."

"Pretty?" I repeated, glancing at Bumblebee who only clicked awkwardly and turned his head.

"Don't lighten it up. Just like with you, he acted inappropriately," Sam sighed. "But, instead of trying to get her to hook up with me, he tried wooing her."

"Who can blame him? He's got good taste in women."

"M-Mikaela!" My cheeks flared red as my childhood friend gave 'Bee a thumbs up behind Sam's back.

"Don't– Hey!" He unfortunately noticed his girlfriend before he lowered her thumb. "Are you serious?"

"What?"

"Don't encourage him!"

"Come on, I think it's cute 'Bee's taken an interest in Bella." The blackette nudged her boyfriend once again with a sparkle in her blue eyes as he merely groaned.

". . Bella-"

"Hm?"

"Do you have a problem with 'Bee around?"

My eyes wandered from Sam to the robot who looked back at me with big blue eyes, "Even if it is a little weird knowing your car was hitting on me. . No, not really. He's cool."

"A-Are you sure?"

I nodded, "Mmhm." My brain then reminded me of something I had said I would do.

". . Well, alright," Though he didn't seem convinced, he just continued on. "So, we'll tell you what you wanna know-"

"Um, before we get into that," I glanced at Mikaela who gave me a knowing look before I sighed. "I actually want to say. . Thank you."

Sam looked taken aback, his brown eyes darting from the left and right side of the garage, "Um. . F-For what?"

"For giving me a ride home," My lips twitched into a smile momentarily. "It was really nice of you."

"Y. . You're welcome," He mumbled, a small smile on his lips before he cleared his throat. "What is it you want to know?"

"Actually, _we'll_ be the one answering questions."

The new voice made me lean off the side of my chair for a second; the sight of two military dressed men caught my eyes. I wasn't able to get clear view, but I think I was able to see a few cars parked nearby. Who were these guys?

"L-Lennox, Epps," Sam looked surprised as the two stepped in. "You guys are here-"

"After that decepticon attack, where'd you expect us to be?" The dark skinned man walked over to me. "Is this the girl?"

I fumbled with the hem of my tank top, gazing down at my lap as I felt the eyes of the two men on me. Just hearing them say 'girl' reminded me of the villainous robot that attempted to kidnap me. A shiver went up my spine at the thought.

"Hey," The feeling of a hand on my shoulder made me jolt, my head snapping upwards as my eyes met warm blue ones. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you, kid. I promise. I'm Captain William Lennox and this is Sergeant Robert Epps. We work with the Autobots." He lifted his hand, taking a few steps back.

"Lennox and Epps. . Wait- Autobots?"

"That's who 'Bee is affiliated with," Sam chimed in as the robot nodded with a whir of agreement. "It's short for autonomous robotic organisms."

"So there's more out there that are like Bumblebee?"

"Yup, a whole lot," Epps confirmed. "We came here because the big man needs to talk with you about that decepticon attack."

"A-And who would that be exactly?"

"He's the commander of the Autobots," Lennox looked at me, hands clasped behind his back. "He only came out here because of how much decepticon activity there was in the area, so I can't say he'll be in town for long."

I glanced at Sam, Mikaela, and then at Bumblebee before looking back at the two soldiers, ". . If I'm going to see this robot leader, I'd like to have my friends with me."

Lennox nodded briefly, "Of course." He seemed to acknowledge my caution before he walked over to the dark green drape to exit, lifting it.

I got up from my seat, my hands sliding from my lap to my sides before I strode over to the exit. The sound of Sam and Mikaela's footsteps trailing behind me was assuring to hear.

"They're not bad robots," My childhood friend whispered as we then exited. "They won't hurt you, Bella."

I took in a deep breath, "God, I hope you're right–" I exhaled, hands shaking before my eyes darted upwards to see at least four towering figures, making me stop in place. "Holy shit." I nearly squeaked.

"We made sure the area was clear before allowing them to reveal themselves like this," As Lennox spoke, the tallest one got down on a knee, looking closely at me which made me jerk back. "Most citizens have been evacuated to a safe zone."

"You are afraid." The robot noted with a composed tone.

". . J-Just a little," My lips twitched before I hesitantly leaned forward just as the robot moved back. "I'm going to guess you're the commander."

"Hm, I wonder what gave it away." The dark metal toned one grunted, arms crossed as he looked at the yellowish green bot besides him before they both looked at me.

"My name is Optimus Prime, I am the leader of the Autobots," The robot's eyes darted over to my friends who were standing to the right of me. "You are friends with Sam and Mikaela, I presume?"

"Yes." I nodded, feeling at ease as Mikaela had put her hand on my shoulder.

"Then you already have my trust," The engines on the Prime hissed as he shifted. "You have my deepest apologies for what you were put through today. Perhaps if we were better prepared, we could have prevented this from happening."

I don't know why, but I felt bad just watching the big guy lower his head in a shameful way. He was taking responsibility for what happened as if it was his fault.

"N-No please, there's no need to apologize," I stammered, his head slowly lifting up as I could see his blue eyes once more. "Some things just happen for a reason. Besides, Bumblebee was there to save me just in time."

The familiar electronic chirping notified me that the yellow and black striped Autobot had left the garage to stand behind me and my two friends.

"I am glad my scout was able to intervene before Swindle could abduct you. Though the reasoning behind having the need to capture you is still not understandable."

"That large red robot had this. . Weird projection of a person talking about how he and these other bad robots saw me with Sam and 'Bee."

"Decepticons. ." The heavy weaponed one growled.

"How in Primus's name did they even manage to use holoforms?"

"Holoforms? What's that?" I felt like a child with a billion questions popping into mind each second that passed.

"Yeah, w-what is that exactly?" That was surprising to hear; Sam was just as lost as I was.

"A holoform is a projection is what an Autobot–or decepticon in this case– uses to interact with the human race where they can be seen as a human being."

"Woah. ." I whistled in awe.

"They must have thought they could lure Sam out with an acquaintance of his being held hostage." The yellowish green Autobot went back to the decepticon conversation, looking at Optimus as his eyes narrowed.

"Why Bella though? Why not Mikaela?" Sam looked up at the Autobots who were processing ideas of why the situation occurred.

"Perhaps because this is the first time they've seen the female. The decepticons could have taken a chance and assume she wasn't under Bumblebee's protection. Since the other female seems to be always around you, there is no need to worry about her not being under Bumblebee's watch."

I glanced over at Mikaela whose cheeks were bright red, her gaze towards the ground. My eyes went over to Sam who rubbed the back of his neck. Of course. They were almost always together.

An awkward cough came out before I looked at Optimus as he stood back up, "So. . What does that mean then? I'm in possible danger because I was seen with Sam?"

"I'm afraid so," The Autobot commander confirmed with a brief nod. "Since some of my men will stay in the area to hunt any remaining decepticons, I will have them watch over you until we know you are no longer in our enemy's sight."

"Woah, woah, woah. . Like a guard?"

"It will only be temporary, Isabella."

"How am I supposed to explain having a variety of vehicles around- Wait. . You know my name?"

"Of course," The gruff appearing one huffed. "Why wouldn't we? You were attacked by a decepticon, little mouse."

"L-Little mouse?" That struck a nerve. I may be smaller than them, but I can be a little sensitive when it comes to height being pointed out. I'm 5'5" for crying out loud! It's average for a girl my age, in my opinion of course.

"Ironhide, be careful with your choice of words," The one besides him scolded. "The human female is showing signs of irritation. Just call her by her given designation."

"Yes, please do that. Thank you. . Um. . What is your name?" I asked with an embarrassed smile.

"I am Ratchet, the medical officer of the Autobots. This here is Ironhide, our weapon specialist."

"Ratchet," I shortly nodded. "Nice to meet you, and you as well, Ironhide."

"A pleasure." The robot medical officer replied politely.

"Hmph." Was all I got in response from the Autobot that called me a little mouse moments earlier.

"I'll take that as a 'nice to meet you too'."

"You're taking this all surprisingly well." Lennox pointed out from my left.

I glanced at him briefly before scratching the back of my head as I looked at the three towering figures, "I guess I am, huh?"

"It takes a few minutes before you're completely used to being around these guys," Mikaela mumbled. "You really don't have anything to be afraid of besides the decepticons."

"Ok, so basically decepticons are the baddies and Autobots are the goodies."

"Goodies?" Mikaela giggled as Bumblebee also chuckled.

I shrugged before concluding, "Goodies vs baddies."

" **A child - I tell you**." The sound of a live studio audience laughing from a TV show came from Bumblebee's speakers.

I stuck out my tongue at the bot, crossing my arms before looking back at the other three Autobots in front of me.

"Our battle with the decepticons has been on-going for centuries. This conflict unfortunately led to the demise of our home world, Cybertron, as well as the falling of many comrades. We arrived here to Earth, seeking out the Cube, an ancient artifact that held the power to create and end Cybertronian life." Optimus spoke, almost like a narrator re-telling an unforgettable event.

"I'm gonna guess Sam and Mikaela are somehow tied into this."

"Indeed," The Prime held his hands behind his back as his subordinates looked at him. "Sam held the key to Earth's survival, antique glasses with coordinates which would lead us to the Cube. Mikaela and Sam were both pulled into this, assisting with our conflict up to the moment we were able to defeat Megatron, leader of the decepticons."

"You didn't want to have any secrets hidden from each other, right?" My childhood friend's voice made me turn my head to look at Sam and her who stared right back. "Well, this is the last one you know now."

This was all coming together now, all the missing answers to these confusing questions that floated around in my head. ". . All this took place a month ago, didn't it?"

"It did." Lennox responded shortly.

"Well, now that you know about the Autobots, you gotta promise you won't be tellin' anyone about them, Bella," Epps spoke up, looking at me. "Otherwise we will have issues."

I raised my hands in a surrendering motion, "I'm not an idiot. I won't say anything."

"I am sorry you are being forced to keep this secret Isabella," Optimus stepped in, making us both turn our heads towards him. "If I could have things go differently for you in this, I would."

"There's really no need to apologize Prime," I ran my fingers through my hair with both hands, gripping my locks midway of my head. "I guess this is what I get for being so curious on what was hidden between those two."

"Well," Sam coughed after a few seconds of silence went by. "At least you got those questions answered."

 _ **October 20th, 2007**_

 _ **Saturday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **1:20 P.M**_

 _ **Witwicky residence**_

After talking with the commander of these bots, they soon left, excluding Bumblebee, with the two new soldiers I had just met. From what Prime said, I know he'd be in the area for only a few more hours since he was being called back to his base. Ratchet and Ironhide would be the ones sticking around to check for any remaining decepticons with the other unidentified Autobots.

Now, I was back in the small garage with Sam and Mikaela plus Bumblebee. Back to sitting on the creaky metal gray foldable chair for me.

"So," My lips pursed as I dragged the word on. "You two are like some sort of. . Extraterrestrial aides in this clash between robots?" I glanced at the two for a second while shifting in my seat momentarily.

"You could say something like that. ." The black haired girl uttered with a hangdog look.

"You don't have to be an aide," Sam spoke, catching my attention as I raised a brow in his direction. "I-I mean it's a choice and you still have it obviously."

"What, you didn't have one?"

". . Ever since my great-great grandfather discovered Megatron, my choice was long gone. But that doesn't mean I wish things went differently for me, I'm glad to have met the Autobots and be of some assistance to them."

"As am I," Mikaela agreed. "I don't regret getting into that camaro."

". . Team Autobot then?" I glanced at 'Bee whose eyes seemed to light up before his speakers came to life.

" **One of us!** " The snippet rewinded where the words were heard backwards before it played once more. " **One of us!** "

Giant alien robots from a different world who brought a raging war to Earth. Huh. Who would have guessed I'd accidentally stumble into something like this? Definitely not me.

A/N; Well, at least my updates are regular with its schedule (◡‿◡✿)

I wanted to write in some interaction between Bella and 'Bee because this fanfic is about the two.

/cough ifthatwasntobvious /cough

Anywho~ Thanks for reading

Until I update and post later; some things (that may be confusing) will be explained, promise

I have a feeling I'll enjoy writing this next chapter so don't think I'll be taking too much time on it (•̀௰•́ )

Nyehehe


	5. Babysitter

ba·by·sit·ter

(bā′bē-sĭt′ər)

noun

A person who cares for or watches over someone or something that needs attention or guidance

 _ **October 21st, 2007**_

 _ **Sunday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **7:50 P.M**_

 _ **Home residence**_

 _After the invaded discussion occurred, I took some time to understand what had happened with Sam and Mikaela, as well as how she was yanked into all this. It wasn't surprising when he admitted the whole situation had led him and my friend to hook up. After that, Sam had 'Bee drop me off back home where I encountered my frantic mother and step-father who had heard of the nearby attack. It took some time to assure them with a well thought up lie that I had been far away from the area of attack. Of course it had been all over the news, why wouldn't it be? A message regarding the strike assured citizens that the military had the situation under control, and that schools in the area would be closed for a day or two until they knew it was safe. Some citizens who had witnessed the attack stayed behind in the safe zone while a few others went back to their homes._

"What to do, what to do. ." I spoke under my breath, my head resting on my pillow while my eyes looked from the left and right of my bedroom ceiling.

Mikaela left an hour ago after we had the hang out she said we would have. We talked, watched movies, and ordered pizza in the five hours we had together. It's weird to say she felt more opened to me, with the whole extraterrestrial robot secret now known, it was like things were normal once again in its own way. But she gave off a vibe that worried me, it was like she was hiding something else.

My phone vibrated for a short second on my nightstand from receiving a text message. It had been doing that for quite some time, most of my friends were still concerned about what happened yesterday since the attack was in my area. I couldn't blame them. I'd be pretty on edge too, but I got Autobot protection. I haven't been able to see any of them yesterday night or in the morning, but I got the feeling at least one of them was in the area.

"What now?" I groaned, dragging my hands across my face at the sound of my cellular device buzzing loudly; a call. When I rolled onto my stomach to my left, I reached out with my left hand to grab my phone before I pressed answered. "Hello?"

"Bella! You haven't been returning my calls since yesterday." It was Jordan.

"Sorry, my bars have been acting up since the attack," I scratched my head; that wasn't a lie. "I haven't been able to talk or text without getting impatient with how slow my service is."

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. How ya been since that encounter with the possessed camaro?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old," I responded casually which earned a laugh from her. "There's a first for everything I suppose."

"Yeah, is your family home? I heard from Adrien that your mom and his dad went out to town hall to get answers. Of course, that's what almost every citizen is doing."

I rolled my eyes, "He just can't keep his mouth shut can he? Well, yeah, they left an hour before Mikaela. They said they'll be back late because it's turning into some large meeting."

"I almost feel bad for the governor. Where the hell is Adrien though? He keeps sending me cryptic messages about where he is." Jordan asked.

"He snuck over to his friend's house to play video games or something. I told him I'd call when my mom and his dad were heading back home."

 _In case it wasn't too obvious, Jordan has this particular interest in Adrien that I find a little disturbing. No, it's not a friendly interest either, that's what makes it weird. He likes her too since he finds her to be attractive. Ten years from now I may be calling her my sister-in-law. Excuse me while I puke in my corner._

"Ooo sneaky Adrien I see," She snickered. "Is it cool if I add Mia to convo? She's being dying for the chance to talk to you."

"Sure."

After hearing a few seconds of silence, Mia's voice came from over the phone speaker, "Sup bitches."

"Hola Mia."

"So, I'm going to get straight to the point; what do you guys think about all this?"

"You mean the whole attack?"

"Dude, I heard someone saw a giant robot," Jordan's words struck a nervous feeling in my heart. "Said it blasted up the buildings in the town."

"Ha! I'll believe that when aliens begin coming down from the sky and taking us to their mother ship." Mia's joking remark made me ease up.

"Apparently there was some video a guy caught with his friends during the time, he uploaded it but it was taken down shortly afterwards. Weird huh?"

"It was probably some shitty edited clip or whatever."

I stuck in the background of the conversation, listening to the two quietly as they talked about conspiracies about the assault. I doubted many citizens who witnessed the attack would be able to convince people it had actually been a large robot who started it. In a way, I had a feeling they would be viewed as crazy people.

'If the human government is truly partnered with these extraterrestrial beings, then they're probably doing everything they can to keep them hidden. Revealing the Autobots would cause panic so it would make sense-'

"Bella? Hello? Earth to Bella!" Mia called in a shout.

"Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts, blinking my eyes for a few seconds as I re-entered reality.

"What are you doing floating all the way up in space, Bells? I didn't know you were an astronaut." Mia teased.

My cheeks flared once I could hear Jordan quietly giggling, "Hey, just so you know, I was thinking about the conspiracies! Giant robots, pfft, who would even believe that?"

"Right?! I call bullshit on that one!" Mia agreed.

"Well, who knows? Anything is possible~" Jordan chimed.

"Right, like humongous murderous bots exist. Last time I checked, it's not even close to being 2060."

The sound of an engine revving up outside my home made me sit up, holding the phone ear my ear still as I then sprung out of my bed. I walked over to my window, looking out to see a familiar yellow and black vehicle parked up to the entrance of the attached garage to my home, as well as its owner who stepped out.

"The hell?" I muttered, not paying attention to what my two good friends were talking about now.

"What? Is something wrong Bella?"

"Listen, I gotta go. I'll call you guys back so we can talk more about this; promise," I then hung up, skillfully tossing my device onto my bed before walking out of my room and downstairs before slipping on my gray laceless shoes. When I unlocked the front door, walking down the pathway and over to Sam who noticed me as I gestured to the camaro for an explanation. "Wha?"

"Bella, please–"

"What is this? Why are you here with 'Bee?"

"Look, I need someone to watch him for a few hours-"

My eyebrows furrowed, "And you think _I'm_ the best person for the job?"

"Bella–"

"I am _not_ some extraterrestrial babysitter, Sam!" I snapped.

"Bella, please," He groaned, raising his hands before massaging his temples as his eyes closed. "I'm just trying to get some alone time with Mikaela since we have a few days off from school."

"Don't you guys always get alone time? You guys are inseparable." It was true! I rarely saw the two during lunch.

"Yeah, but this is different. . Mikaela's just been upset about what happened with the decepticon attack and how you found out."

". . She _was_ acting a little off." I agreed under my breath, crossing my arms as I thought back to when I hung out with her. Was me finding out about all this extraterrestrial robot war that troubling for her?

"Yeah. . Usually, I wouldn't mind having 'Bee around but. . He's gotta sit this one out."

I crossed my arms, peaking at the vehicle, "Don't you need him for protection and transportation?"

"Yeah, but other Autobots are in the area so I won't be out of safety hands," He then walked over to the front of the camaro, leaning back on it while looking at me. "Besides, I just need to be able to talk to her by myself and make her feel better. Just boyfriend to girlfriend."

I staid quiet, my eyes going from the vehicle to Sam who looked at me with a pleading expression.

"Please Bella, you're the only other person that I know that _knows_ about 'Bee who can watch him."

". . Weren't you yapping yesterday about how you _didn't_ want him around me? Can't the government watch over him or the other Autobots who are here?" I questioned.

"No, he's put on guardian duty so he's expected to be with me. Plus he's not a child. . He's a teen technically, so the Autobots expect him to take care of himself. Honestly, I just don't want him wandering around on his own."

"Wow, you almost sound like a mom saying that." I snorted back a laugh.

"I'm being serious about this, Bella. I just need someone to watch 'Bee until I know Mikaela's mind is off from this situation."

"Is she really _that_ upset about me finding out?" I asked in a quiet voice, gaze going downwards.

"She didn't want you to get involved because it's dangerous. Knowing about the Autobots is dangerous. Mikaela just wanted you to be safe and far away from this fight. She shouldn't be doing it but. . She's really beating herself up over it."

I staid quiet, my gaze moving upwards as it met his hopeful one, ". . Fine, only because I want Mikaela to feel better."

A small smile twitched up his lips, "Thank you, Bella."

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes, putting a hand on my hip. "Consider this my way of repaying you for that ride–"

"Ok, I appreciate you doing this. Thank you, really," Sam pulled away before looking towards the yellow and black camaro. "Behave." With that, he surprisingly started to walk down the sidewalk.

"Hey, won't you need him to drive you to Mikaela's?" I asked.

"No, it's cool, Mikaela's place isn't too far from here which is pretty convenient. I'll see you later to pick him up!"

Oh, right! She does live close by. "Alright," I waved, watching him jog around the corner as he then disappeared. "See ya." I turned to look at the car, walking over to it as the window rolled down.

" **Hello,** " The classic song played from the radio. " **Is it me you're lookin' for? I can see it in your eyes~** "

I rolled my eyes, "Alright Romeo," I gestured with my head towards the garage, walking over to the entrance afterwards. "Let's get you inside." I crouched down, gripping the underside of it before lifting it up as I then stood back up.

'Babysitting an Autobot inside of your own home instead of a child,' I thought as I stepped aside, letting the camaro roll into the garage. 'Well this is certainly new.'

After he parked, I walked inside, pulling down the garage door with a huff, "You can transform, there's enough space."

The familiar sounds of gears clicking caught my ears as I watched, looking as the Autobot had to bend forward slightly since he didn't have much space to sit up straight.

Bumblebee whirred curiously, looking around as best as he could without knocking anything over.

"Careful, careful," I worriedly raised my hands, almost like a tamer with a wild animal as I caught his attention before sighing. "Ok, we gotta lay down some rules."

The sound of a record coming to a scratching halt came from his radio as he looked at me surprised. His head lowered, a low whine coming from him as his eyes dimmed with disappointment.

"What?" I put my hands on my hips. "Did you really expect no rules?"

Bumblebee's blue eyes wandered to the side as he whirred quietly in a way of saying 'yes'.

"Well big guy, this is my home, and as long as I am in charge of watching you–" I took in a deep breath, clapping my hands together. "Expect rules. Now," I turned around, going over to the tool table to the right of the garage, hanging up some that were left lying down, walking back over to stand in front of 'Bee. "First things first, you have to. ." Once I looked back at the Autobot, I found myself trailing off with my words.

Bumblebee looked at me with sad electric blue eyes as he whined softly, the little metal yellow antennas on his head raised and lowered dramatically.

"Y-You have too. ." I blinked, and after a few seconds I shook my head just as I turned away from him. "Stop that! The puppy dog eyes _do_ _not_ work on me!"

When a couple more seconds went by, a digit tapping my shoulder from behind and an attention seeking whir made me turn around while crossing my arms, looking at him with a raised brow.

Bumblebee let out short clicks and chirps, his head raising up as his eyes darted from me to elsewhere.

". . Fine, there is just one rule; no touching anything," I watched as the Autobot lit up while squealing with delight. "Ugh, I hate it that you're so damn cute. ."

" **I'm cute, I'm cute! She said I'm cuuute!** "

The recognizable voice of Rudolph coming from 'Bee's speakers made me laugh as I clutched my stomach, "Yeah, don't get too full of yourself, hot shot. That's probably going to be the only time I'll be saying that." Dusting off my hands, I looked back at the Autobot. "Now, what do you wanna do?"

The guardian tilted his head in thought, eyes going down to the ground as he raised his pointer digit to where his chin would be as he tapped it lightly.

 _ **October 21st, 2007**_

 _ **Sunday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **8:30 P.M**_

 _ **Home residence**_

"Alright," I huffed, showing the DVD cases of the different movies I could find from the living room in my hands. "Here ya go. I got my laptop ready to play the one of your choosing." With that being said, I carefully showed the Autobot the choices he could make while having my electronic device underneath my armpit.

When I had the chance earlier, I grabbed my phone from my bedroom and texted Jordan and Mia where we continued our conversation. Jordan was surfing the web for any more news on the attack while Mia was just being. . Mia.

Bumblebee looked the DVD cases over, making a soft humming sound as his metal pointer finger hovered over the many options below him. He tilted his head, reaching out with both his pointer finger and thumb before delicately pulling out _Aladdin_. Once he did, he made a questioning whir, looking at me for an answer which came out as a shrug.

"Hey, Disney movies are classics," I stuck out my tongue. "Besides, I was just a little girl who happened to like the idea of princesses and princes."

" **You - don't - anymore?** "

"No, if you want to find the squealing, pink loving, only wearing dresses Bella you may want to look elsewhere."

Bumblebee chuckled at that, though it was full of static as he shook his head, " **That's a shame**."

". . Are you ok?" I asked worriedly, which made him chirp in a confused manner. "I-I mean it's just. . All the other Autobots speak just fine but. . I noticed you use a radio to speak. . Are you a mute?"

Bumblebee looked away, " **Lost - voice - during - war**."

"How?"

" **Mega - tron - ripped - out - vocal - processor**."

"Megatron. .?"

" **Bad guys - leader.** "

"Decepticon leader. ." I felt a surge of fury towards Megatron. "How dare he! That's. . That's not right!"

" **Ain't no rest for the wicked.** "

When I met Bumblebee as an Autobot, I thought of him as a perverted robot. But, after getting the chance to interact with him even for a little bit, I was able to see him as what Sam described him; a teenager, just a giant extraterrestrial metal one. I could guess he was practically born into this extraterrestrial war.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve to experience something like that, 'Bee." When my eyes left the Autobot, I felt smooth metal lift my chin up which made me look back at him.

" **No worries. Everything happens for a reason**." He shrugged, his pointer finger drifting away from me.

"Is Ratchet doing something to help at least?" I frowned.

Bumblebee nodded, " **He - has been - for - quite some time. Don't fret**."

"Well, I hope he'll be able to fix ya up so I can hear you speak one day," A small smile lifted on my face before I cleared my throat. "But hey, Aladdin is a classic movie. Just sayin'."

" **I could - just - search it up**."

"Fine, be a bum then and spoil it for yourself," I huffed, pulling out a film that I found to be awesome. "How about Pan's Labyrinth?"

Bumblebee looked at the DVD box, pulling it out from my fingertips as he examined it before nodding in approval with a twinkle in his eyes while looking at me.

"Excellent choice," I couldn't help but smile; he certainly knew how to act like a child, but, this was a completely different culture. The Autobots only arrived a month ago, so they had a lot to explore still. "I happen to love this movie."

"Really?"

"Mmhm," I carefully walked over to the tools table, putting down the many DVD boxes I got before shifting my laptop into one hand as the movie case was in the other. "Mikaela and I watched it when it came out," I laughed at the memory. "Mom wasn't _too_ happy since Connor was the one to give us the money  and it was a rated R movie which we snuck into."

" **That's - your father - right?** "

I paused, ". . No. . He isn't, Connor's my step father," I cleared my throat. "My real dad's kinda. . Gone."

" **Gone?** "

"He disappeared years ago," I answered. "I haven't heard from him since."

" **Do you know why?** "

". . I honestly don't," I felt twitchy at the sensitive topic being brought back, "I don't remember much, I was still a little girl. But, let's not talk about that-" I coughed, sitting down in front of him with my back to him, crossing my legs as I lifted the case of my electronic device. "We got a movie to watch." My fingers then typed across the keyboard, logging myself in as I took the disc out of the DVD box with my left hand.

 _Talking about my step-father and how he appeared was one thing, but talking about my biological father was another. It made me feel. . Uncomfortable. After seeing my mother and father fighting one night downstairs when I woke up from a bad dream, he just vanished the next after going to work. The continuous sorrow and longing I felt as a little girl to see her father continued for days, weeks, months, and eventually turned into many years. In the long run, those feelings I held became a memory of how much dejection I endured. No need to fret though, I had my Mikaela by my side to cheer me up and get me back on my feet. I honestly don't know what I'd do or be without her._

The feeling of smooth metal nudging against the left side of my cheek snapped me out of my glum daze, my eyes wandering over to the source which had been 'Bee who leaned away, "W-What are you doing. .?"

" **Here's a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note. Don't worry, be happy-** " The song by Bob Marley came playing from the radio as his head swayed from side to side to the tune.

I watched the Autobot move along to the music quietly, blinking surprised at the small dance he tried performing in the limited space of my garage. My left hand was carefully holding up the movie disc in the process.

" **In every life we have some trouble. When you worry you make it double. Don't worry, be happy**." He raised a pointer finger, poking the tip of my nose afterwards.

I was completely speechless, and before I even knew it, I was bursting into laughter, "Oh, Bumblebee, y-you're too cute. Thank you," I wiped a tear from my eye with a free hand before reaching over and rubbing the top of his head as he leaned into the touch. "I think I needed that."

" **I was only trying to help. You said it again**."

"Said what?"

" **You're too cute.** " My sentence from earlier replayed from his stereos as he had a smug look.

"Shut up before I take back my 'thank you'," I smiled just as he chuckled, retracting my hand from him before looking at my laptop. Pressing the button, the disc tray slid out where I put the movie CD in with ease, pushing it back in. "Now, let's watch that movie."

" **Isn't it - in - Spanish?** "

He must have looked over the movie box when I wasn't looking. "It's got subtitles."

 _ **October 21st, 2007**_

 _ **Sunday**_

 _ **Bumblebee**_

 _ **10:07 P.M**_

 _ **Sainte/Davis residence**_

I won't lie when I say the dark fantasy film created by the humans was quite interesting. Despite having to look at a tiny screen, I didn't mind at all. Isabella allowed me to rest my chin on her shoulder as we watched the entire movie together.

From what I could infer, I was slowly gaining the human female's trust. When she told me of her father issues, I wanted to give her my condolences, but I could tell it bothered her to just continue on about it, so I let her change the subject. Though she did behave awkward at first, she was coming around to act quite friendly. I felt as if we were beginning to bond. Hopefully we both saw it that way. Mikaela did say it'd be good to have her as a friend.

When the credits rolled in which signified the motion picture was over, I gently nudged Isabella, whirring to get her attention about it. No response came back.

" **Bella?** " I chirped, my sensors scanning her form; she was fast asleep, and leaning on my helm as she did so.

How in Primus's name am I supposed to turn it off? I began worrying at the thought of crushing the small electronic device and getting Bella mad.

'Just be careful, 'Bee,' Slowly, I raised my right pointer digit, moving it around the human femme and then carefully closing the laptop. A quiet sigh of relief left me; I didn't break it. 'There. Now that wasn't so hard-' Bella's body was leaning towards the side! 'PRIMUS!' With the same digit finger, I caught her upper body with ease before it could fall.

My optics caught the sight of her fast asleep, she looked so peaceful. Humans usually look this way when they are dormant, at least that's what their internet told me.

'I can't let her sleep on the floor, or wake up, she could be cranky. . Maybe I should. . Well, this could be a good field test to use it.' With hesitance, I activated my holoform; my eyes were now looking through his as I picked the girl up in my arms. A quiet huff left my lips as I then headed through the doorway of the garage to the right of the home. Much to my relief, the lights were left on.

'If her family is still home, I have to be careful,' Wandering through the kitchen which was right beside the attached garage, I soon entered the hallway. 'Sam and his parents' rooms are upstairs, perhaps hers is as well.' With that assumption in mind, I looked for a stairway which I found thankfully.

The holoform's footsteps creaked on the wooden stairs; I came to a stop when I felt Bella shift in my arms, a mixture of a groan and yawn leaving her lips. When she stopped, I continued hiking upwards to the second level. It took a few guesses and unlocking doors to find hers.

"Alright," Slowly, I trudged over to the bed, putting her down with ease. "There we go."

Still asleep, Isabella turned onto her side, mumbling something under her breath before she became quiet.

I wouldn't lie when I say she was an attractive human female. Her black hair complimented her brown eyes and light brown skin, it made her a true beauty.

"'Bee?"

I perked up, hearing my human's voice through my audio receptors from the front of the garage. I then deactivated my holoform, my vision going from the sleeping girl to the garage's door.

" **Sam?** " I chirped, noticing Bella's laptop laying on the ground. Using two fingers, I carefully put aside the electronic device, moving forward and lifting the door for him.

Outside in the night was Sam and Mikaela, standing side by side. Their thoughtful expressions quickly went into a panicked one as my human rushed forward, pushing me back in.

"Get-! You know we can't have anyone seeing you!"

" **Sorry.** " I groaned apologetically, looking downwards as the two then entered. That _was_ rather careless.

"Wh-Where's Bella?" Sam asked, looking around for the female while Mikaela had pulled down the garage door.

" **Fell - asleep.** "

"So where is she now?"

" **Upstairs.** "

"You guys were watching movies?" Mikaela looked at me with an amused smile, obviously having seen the many DVD cases.

I nodded in response, chirping happily.

"I knew she'd warm up to you." Her smile turned into a grin.

"Well, let's get you out of here, big guy. We gotta head back home."

" **What of - Mikaela?** "

"She'll be coming with us of course."

That made me roll my optics; I already knew what they'd be doing, but Mikaela's presence wasn't at all bothering to me. Her company was actually enjoyable.

" **Alright. Don't go crazy now - you two**."

"Come on."

"Maybe we should let Bella babysit 'Bee more often." Mikaela smirked.

". . Yeah?" Just from the smile on Sam's face, I could tell he was definitely considering it.

"We'll just have to pay her in the future," The black haired girl laughed. "She won't be for free."

"Dually noted."

 **A/N; Wow. This chapter actually took a lot more thought than I expected ^^'**

 **When writing this chapter, I was actually listening to Tessa's theme song**

 **I find the melody to be inspiring when I write Bella's character and her whole persona**

 **If only it was her theme song ; A ;**

 **But anywho~**

 **I wanted to have a bit more development for 'Bee and Bella's relationship**

 **With fluff~~ (** **ﾉ** **ヮ** **)** **ﾉ** ***:** **・ﾟ**

 **Cheesy, I know but what can ya do? x3**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed~**

 **My updates will be a lil slow (minimum four days to post another chapter) since I do have work to complete**

 **Thanks for reading~~**


	6. Hello

hel·lo

həˈlō,heˈlō/

exclamation

1.

used as a greeting or to begin a telephone conversation.

 _ **October 22nd, 2007**_

 _ **Monday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **10:10 A.M**_

 _ **?**_

 _It's weird how fast things went last night, and no, I don't mean to say that in an inappropriate manner. Perverts. One moment I'm with 'Bee watching my favorite movie, then I completely black out and wake up in my bed the next morning. Sam texted me saying he picked up 'Bee with Mikaela before my mother and step-father came home. Adrien made it back home before they were surprisingly. No one knew I had a large metal robot in the garage for three hours. The only thing that was asked about was the DVD boxes which I curtly responded saying I was cleaning the living room and forget to put them back in their place. That earned me an unnecessary lecture from Connor on being more responsible with putting things away. That led to me going back into my bedroom, getting dressed, and going on a walk around town with my headphones in. Call me childish for reacting with leaving the house so suddenly, but my step-father took it a bit too far for my liking._

My shoulders raised and lowered as I breathed out, my fingertips fiddling and pulling up both sleeves of my light brown sweater to cover them up. Cold air heavily blew through the air, making some locks of my hair drift upwards into the wind and then float back down onto my shoulders. My beige boots made quiet clicking noises against the sidewalk as I walked. Autumn was finally beginning to make itself known.

"Jesus, it's beginning to become chilly out here." I huffed, stuffing a hand into my dark jeans pocket, pulling out my phone as I turned on the screen.

'Another song would be better to listen to than this one,' I pressed a button, the songs shuffling and playing one that I found better than the last. 'There we go. Better.' Putting my phone back in my pocket, I pushed a loose headphone back into my ear.

 _There wouldn't be any school for three days, this includes today counting as one. The government is getting help where damages to the city are being repaired. The knowledge of being safe was slowly being eased into the minds of those who were still on edge from the attack. I had faith the Autobots and their allies were clearing out any remaining decepticons. Occasionally I'd see a few military jeeps roll by, and even a few sports cars that stood out as they followed behind._

As I turned down another corner, soon arriving in town, my ears caught the sound of an engine behind me. When I looked back, I saw a silver stingray corvette which had its headlights on. It stopped in the road as soon as my eyes landed on it. Was it an Autobot? Only one way to find out. I found myself turning around, walking over to it.

I took out my phone, pausing my music before pulling out my headphones and putting them into my pocket. I wouldn't want to seem rude by talking with my playlist blasting in my ear drums.

The passenger side window rolled down as I approached, "Sorry if I spooked ya by following. I'm only following Prime's orders." A silver haired male spoke, leaning over from the driver's side. His eyes were blue, an electric blue at that. He was an Autobot.

"No, uh, it's cool. You're using a holoform, right?"

"I'm guessin' Ratchet already told you about all that. But yeah, I am."

"Do _all_ Autobots have a holoform?" I inquired with a tilt of my head.

"Yup, Prime thought it'd be good for us to use if we need to interact with humans in case that situation ever comes our way," He explained. "For example, I'm only using it right now because it'd be weird for nearby humans to see a girl talking to a vehicle with no driver."

"Oh," Well that was certainly considerate of him. "Thank you- Wait, so that means 'Bee has a holoform?"

"Mmhm, he just never bothers using it," The silver haired man shrugged. "No 'bot really does."

". . Huh." That made me think. If 'Bee had a holoform, does that mean it would be attractive like this guy? Or even cute?

'What is _wrong_ with you, Bella?! Get it together!' My eyes darted over to the side in embarrassment as blood rushed to my cheeks. 'They're large extraterrestrial robots; don't forget that!'

"Why are your cheeks red, kid?"

"What?" I looked back to see the holoform had a knowing smirk on his face. "They're not."

"Primus, I can only imagine what you're thinkin' right now; teenagers," He chuckled; now _that_ made my face turn red. "I don't think 'Bee would like how I'm talking to you right now. He might think I'm hitting on you."

"W-Why would that matter to 'Bee?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's taken an interest in you kid."

"Soo that means. .?" I trailed off, wanting the Autobot to answer me.

"He likes ya, almost more than Sam-" He was cut off when his vehicle was shoved forward, making me take a step back to see a familiar dark GMC topkick truck.

"Sideswipe, get your aft in gear, we do _not_ have time to socialize!" A recognizable voice barked from over his radio speakers.

"Alright, alright, I'm movin'," The holoform looked towards me. "Bella right?"

"Yup. Sideswipe right?" I raised a brow with an inquisitive smile.

An opened smile slowly crept up his lips, "You caught that huh? Not bad, kid," He reached over, giving me a short fist bump before leaning back and putting a hand on the wheel. "I would love to continue talking but I got things to do and a superior I don't wanna piss off."

"Right; hunting decepticons and keep Ironhide the opposite of angry." I nodded as he did.

"There ya go, you're gettin' it. I'll see you later, Bells~"

I leaned back, letting the silver corvette drive by as the engine roared loudly. That was when I went over to the GMC topkick truck that stopped itself when it heard me calling.

"What is it you want, little mouse?" The passenger side window rolled down as he spoke.

After getting the feeling that making Ironhide upset was a very bad thing, I decided to not correct him. Just for today. "I forgot to ask Sideswipe but I was just wondering if you guys happened to find the decepticon that attacked."

"Bumblebee did a number on Swindle when he rescued you, but no, we have not. The slagger managed to escape." He growled from over the radio speakers.

That made me tense up; he was still out there? Could that mean I'm still in danger? Or even Mikaela?!

I leaned over the rolled down window, looking at the radio, "H-Have you been able to spot any other decepticons?"

"Yes, we have been. Most of them are either dead metal by now or captured and being interrogated for information on Swindle's whereabouts. But, seeing as how they're difficult with that, most of them will be dead metal like the rest."

"I see. ."

"Don't worry, little mouse. No one will harm you or Sam _or_ Mikaela. You're safe."

I guess the fear I felt wasn't unnoticeable, "I hope you're right about that, 'Hide."

He grunted, "I _am_ right. Optimus won't allow anything to touch you three. Now, if you'd let me, I have to continue hunting."

"R-Right, right, sorry," I backed away. "I held you back for a few minutes."

". . I'll led this conversation slide, _only_ because you were concerned about your safety as well as your friends. We'll find that slagger, mark my words. . Do _not_ tell any other bot about this."

"You got it." I let out a small laugh, watching as Ironhide then drove off in the direction Sideswipe went.

Why did I get the sense that Ironhide had a soft spot? Even if he _seemed_ intimidating, I found myself being comfortable to talk with him.

'Well, they _are_ Autobots,' My lips twitched as I nodded in agreement at the thought. 'There really is no reason to be afraid of them. They're the good guys after all.'

Before I could pull out my phone and headphones to continue listening to my music, I caught the sight of a familiar camaro pulling up behind me from the corner of my eye. My lips pursed, I soon headed over to the sports car which closed the distance between me and the Autobot.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Sam and Mikaela?" I asked, crossing my arms.

No response came, but the driver door popped open, and an unfamiliar figure stepped out. The person looked to be around my age, so a teenager. He had blonde messy spiky hair, shining blue eyes-

"Bella?"

"W-What?" I blinked; he was standing right in front of me.

". . Did you not hear me?" Amusement was laced in his voice.

"I don't think so, uh, w-what did you say exactly?"

The blonde chuckled, "I said it's me; 'Bee. I'm just testing out my holoform when it comes to interacting with you."

 _'This_ was 'Bee as a person? Holy shit. Why are all Autobot holoforms so attractive looking?' I swallowed back the saliva beginning to pool in my mouth before I coughed.

"Oh, w-well that's understandable," I slowly nodded, putting a hand on my hip. "Why aren't you with Sam and Mikaela? She told me she was out with him at some fast food joint."

"Well, I managed to sneak away, probably not for too long though," He said with a 'guilty-as-charge' smile and roll of his shoulders. "I wanted to check up on you after last night."

"Aw, that's awfully considerate of you, 'Bee," I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm just fine but um. . I'm sorry I passed out on you so early, usually I can stay up longer than ten."

"It's fine, Bella. You looked pretty exhausted."

"I barely did anything though," I laughed. "Maybe you made a great metal cushion that I just couldn't resist falling asleep on."

"Perhaps~" 'Bee laughed as well with a grin on his holoform's face.

". . Hey, maybe I can make it up to you." The thought of getting to know 'Bee after last night seemed right. He _did_ save me, and I did talk about something as personal as my father with him.

"Huh?"

"Do you know how much time we have before Sam realizes you're gone?" I asked.

"I do not, unfortunately," He scratched his head, looking puzzled. "What exactly do you have in mind, Bella?"

An adventurous smile raised on my face, "We have no time to waste then~!" I went over to the driver's side of the camaro. "I'll give you the directions if you'll drive."

 _ **October 22nd, 2007**_

 _ **Monday**_

 _ **Isabella**_

 _ **10:28 A.M**_

 _ **Abandoned Railway**_

'Yes, we're here,' I stepped out the camaro when the door opened for me. The scent of nature was pleasing to breathe in and exhale. 'Hasn't changed at all.' Happy with how things looked, I put my hands on my hips.

"You can transform if you want, no one comes out here unless they plan on getting wasted or high." I walked over to the rusted railway, crouching down when an empty bottle of beer caught my eye.

"Is this some sort of hang out zone?"

"You could say something like that," I got back up, brushing off my jeans before looking over to see the blonde jog over as the camaro rolled forward just a little. "Do you prefer using your holoform?"

"I'm just being cautious."

"You don't trust me when I say there's no one around?"

"N-No, no, no! It's not that I don't trust you, I just don't trust the fact that we're alone," We began walking over to the railway tracks, side by side as 'Bee continued talking. "Even if the others managed to drive out most of the decepticons, it doesn't cover the fact there are still some out there."

"That's true. . Can they detect you easily or something?"

"Yes, all Cybertronians can sense when another is near through radars."

"Wow, that's interesting." I took a step over the right side railway track, going over to the other on the left as I stood on it, slightly wobbling.

"Hey, be careful-!"

I laughed, "I'm fine, 'Bee. I know how to do this," I looked over at the concerned blonde, pointing to the railway track to my right which he stood behind. "Step onto that track."

Bumblebee's blue eyes looked down at the rusted silver track before he finally lifted his holoform's leg, slowly getting onto it, "Is this supposed to be fun-? Woah!" His foot slipped, making him lose balance as he was about to fall back until he regained it in a split second.

"Here," I outstretched my hand for him to take once he steadied himself. "I won't let you fall."

". . Promise?"

"I promise, 'Bee," I smiled. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

He was quiet before his hand finally rested on top of my palm. It surprised me when I felt warmth radiate from his fingertips, maybe it was because the holoform was supposed to seem human in a sense.

"So. . What first?"

"Alright," I slowly grasped his hand as he did the same with my own, the both of us beginning to walk forward. "Just walk slowly. You may want to raise your arm up a little, it'll help keep you balanced."

"Got it."

As we went down the railroad tracks, I noticed the yellow and black striped camaro trailing behind to the right of 'Bee's holoform. It was funny, 'Bee was right here holding my hand but also right there keeping up with the two of us as we walked.

"How did you find this place?"

"Me and Mikaela found it years ago when we were just kids. Ever since then, we've been coming around here just to talk, laying or walking on these railroad tracks, etc."

"Sounds dangerous for you two."

"This place has been abandoned for a _long_ time. There's no need to worry about trains coming around."

"Well, I suppose that's a relief."

It was quiet after that, minutes passed by as we just walked across opposite sides of the railway. His hand had a firm grasp on mine; I wasn't sure whether he was really scared of falling or if he just enjoyed the feeling of interacting with another human like this. Sideswipe _did_ say he rarely used his holoform.

'This is your chance, Bella! Try getting to know him a little more before it gets awkward.'

"So. . I'm curious, what was your home planet like?"

He took in a deep breath, "Cybertron was beautiful. . At least before the war," He answered; nostalgia was hinted in his voice. "There were many Autobots before a lust for dictatorship overtook Megatron who led others astray to join the decepticons."

"Did you have parents?"

"I'm sure I did, otherwise I wouldn't be here," He laughed which lasted only for a second. ". . I. . Don't remember much. Most memories from my sparkling years have been overclouded from the war that's occupied most of my life."

". . I. . I'm so sorry," I looked down, feeling sympathy towards Bumblebee and guilt for asking such a personal question. "I shouldn't have asked-"

"Don't apologize, Bella," His hand gave mine an assuring squeeze. "You were only curious. Besides, I should apologize for bringing up such a sensitive topic as your missing father yesterday. It was. . Very intrusive of me."

"Well, you _were_ only asking. You got to know a chunk about me at least."

"The dark side, yes." He murmured.

"At least we both know something about each other. It's a start to building up a friendship."

"A friendship?"

When I looked from the tracks to 'Bee, I met his surprised blue eyes that had a glimmer of hope in them. We both came to a stop, still holding onto each other.

"Um. . W-Well yeah," I looked to the side. "I mean if you'd like to be friends-"

"I'd love to be friends, Bella."

That made me look back at him dumbfounded; he had a warm smile on his face. Blood rushed to my cheeks out of nowhere as I looked away, letting out an awkward cough afterwards.

"W-Well that's great, let's try being good friends, 'Bee," I finally worked up the courage to meet his gaze as I smiled back. "Hopefully without getting even darker with personal matters."

"I'm sure it won't," He snickered before it faded away. "Bella-" He paused, the both of us coming to a halt once more.

"Something wrong?"

". . Sam's noticed my disappearance. I have to get going," He sighed. "Thank you for showing me this lair of yours, it's actually quite pretty."

"With the nature around–" I looked to my left at the forest. "It's the perfect getaway."

"Indeed. Maybe we can come back here and talk more," He said, releasing my hand as we both then get off the railway tracks, now standing to the side of the camaro. "I'd like to get to know you more, _friend_." The emphasis but on the word made me laugh.

A grin lifted on my face, "And I can't wait to get to know _you_ more, 'Bee."

 **A/N; This was very hard to put together–**

 **holy chiz /)(\**

 **I wanted to get some interaction between Bella and the other 'bots since she's only been seen talking with 'Bee, so ja**

 **And I just couldn't resist wanting to continue the progress of the relationship and trust between Bella and 'Bee (which led to this chapter plot) hence producing this \•3•)z**

 **It took longer than expected, but at least it's finished now ^^;**

 **I've got two TF stories to work on now (in case you guys didn't know ;) )**

 **So now I got two characters to develop; Yay~**

 **Thanks for reading up to this point and I hope you enjoyed uwu**


	7. Bond

bänd/  
noun  
a force or feeling that unites people; a common emotion or interest.

-  
 _ **October 23rd, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **2:17 P.M**_  
 _ **Diner**_

"I'm drooling like a baby." Jordan sighed happily, rubbing her hands together as her burger was placed in front of her.

"Wow, it looks as good as it did a year ago." Mia looked surprised.

"Duh, _of course_ it's gonna still look good. What do you think this place does? Switch up its delicious food with some other crap? No, these guys are all natural."

I drummed my fingers against the edge of the booth table, my cheek resting in my hand as my eyes stared blankly at the Oreo milkshake placed in front of me, "Thanks. ." I mumbled.

"No problem."

"Hey, what's your deal?" Mia poked me from where she sat next to Jordan; my eyes wandered over to her. "You're usually jumping up and down when you got _that_ in front of you." Her order of fries were put down just as she finished speaking.

 _Today was a day where I hung out with Jordan and Mia. The diner was where we'd usually hang out whenever we were hungry and wanted to talk; they'd take one side of our regular booth and I'd take the other. Usually I'd be talking away like a madman, but today I was quiet._

"I guess I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Is it Sammy and Mikaela again?" Jordan asked.

"No, it's something else entirely."

"Oooo, what exactly have we been missing out on?"

"Give us _all_ the details."

 _It was so hard to explain, especially since it was about 'Bee. Something about his holoform just. . Kept the memory in mind since the moment we left each other to go do our own thing._

"Well-" I leaned off my hand, taking a quick sip of the milkshake. "It's about this. . Guy."

"Oo la la~ Bella's found a guy." Mia grinned.

"N-No it's nothing like that," I dismissed her romantic conclusion with a shake of my head. "He's different from a lot of the guys _you_ know."

"Oh? How's he different?"

My shoulders rose and fell, "I-I dunno honestly. It's like he's from a completely different world." _Literally_.

"Sounds like you're head over heels for the guy."

"I-I am not!" I protested, my hands curling up into fists as I gently hit them against the table.

"Sounds like someone's in denial~" Jordan snickered which made me groan. "What does the guy look like?"

"Well. . For starters, he's a blonde," I took another sip of my milkshake, the image of 'Bee's holoform easy to picture in my head. "Maybe around 5'8"-"

"Dreamy blue eyes?"

"Yup- Wait, no! They're _nice_ blue eyes; how the hell did you manage to guess correctly that he has blue eyes?"

"Hey, Bella."

I nearly choked on my own milkshake at the recognizable voice, "'B-Bee?"

"A-Are you ok?" He looked startled from how I reacted to his appearance, reaching out in worry before I raised my hand to assure him.

"I-I'm fine," I coughed, clearing my throat afterwards. "Wh-What brings you here?"

Before he could answer, a loud 'ahem' made me turn to see Jordan who looked at me with a raised brow and crossed arms; Mia was just staring at 'Bee with a flirtatious smile.

"Bella, who's this?"

"How come we've never met~?"

"Um. ."

I narrowed my eyes towards Mia, lips twitching to the side in a manner of saying 'back-off'. She just looked back at me with a 'I-call-dibs' smirk. That definitely struck a nerve; this was a typical Mia move to make. In order to protect Bumblebee from my rather impure friend, I gave her a responding gaze that said 'I-already-did- _way_ -before-you-did.' She merely glared back at that.

'Ahaha! Take that!' I thought victoriously. 'You can seduce so many other guys, but I'm afraid Bumblebee will not be added onto that list.'

"This is 'Bee. He's a friend of Sam's that I happened to met a few days ago."

"B? Like the letter 'B'?"

"You could say _something_ like that." I rolled my eyes with a shrug.

"He's a cutie. Are you taken?"

"Um. ." 'Bee shifted rather awkwardly where he stood from the booth, taking a step over to my side. "I-I'm not really interested."

" _Fuck off_. ." I mumbled under my breath towards Mia. You may not have 'Bee!

"Are you interested into guys?" Jordan tilted her head.

"N-No! Most definitely not! I'm just not interested in a relationship, I am pretty absorbed in my work."

"Oooo, you already work? What do you work as?"

"A soldier you could say."

"That's so cool!" My fashionista friend squealed. "Does that make you a student at a military school? Or is it some sort of academy?"

Poor 'Bee looked frazzled. All these sudden questions must make him at a loss for words. His holoform's lips parted to speak, but they immediately clamped shut. His blue eyes darted from side to side, attempting to avoid the gazes of my two friends.

"Look," I cleared my throat, standing up as my hands rested on the booth table. "That doesn't really matter. All you need to know is he's a good guy, a genuinely kind one at that. He's not always this reserved, believe me." An uncontrolled giggle left my lips at the memory of the first time I encountered the Autobot.

"Is he shy around girls he doesn't know?" Mia smiled with amusement.

'Well. . At least she's not flirting. I gotta keep an eye on her.'

'Bee only laughed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck after putting a hand on his hip, "Not always; I apologize for interrupting your little date. I just needed to speak with Bella."

"Would you want us to give you guys a few minutes?" Jordan asked, obviously trying not smile but failing.

"Yes, I have to have a private conversation with her."

Jordan nodded, looking at Mia to her left before the two scooted out from their side of the booth. I was surprised at how the two reacted, usually they'd act embarrassing whenever a boy wanted to talk with me alone. Typical girl buddies.

"We're gonna go and check out the juke box. Just signal us when you guys are done."

"Got it."

With that, the two then left the area, leaving me and 'Bee alone. It was quiet for a second until I scooted to the left, giving him room to sit beside me as I patted the empty spot. He took the space once it was available.

"How'd you find me here?" I asked in a hushed voice.

"Sideswipe had been watching you; it took some tough persuasion to get your location out of 'em."

"I should have known," I laughed for a split second. "Whatever you needed to tell me must have been important to come here so suddenly. Will Sam be interrupting this conversation as well?"

"No, I actually gained permission from him to be able to speak with you. He's at his house with Mikaela so that should keep him busy for a little bit."

"Ah, well I guess that's good," The idea of Mikaela and Sam together alone made me cringe inside. "What is it you need to talk to me about?"

". . It's about the decepticon that attacked you; Swindle."

Hearing the name made me flinch. Optimus had already identified him three days ago when we first met. God I hate how jumpy I get whenever the decepticon is brought up.

"What about him?"

"Ironhide recently caught a decepticon; interrogating didn't go well, so he just ended their life. But before they did, they gave an ominous warning. 'Swindle will complete his mission. All hail Megatron!' Then boom, he went offline because of 'Hide under Optimus's orders."

". . So. . You're saying Swindle's still out there."

"Unfortunately, yes."

'It's ok, Bella. . It's ok,' I took in a deep breath, putting a hand over my chest before exhaling. My heart was pounding like crazy; the memory of how much fear I felt during that attack came to mind. 'Jesus relax!'

"Are you ok, Bella? You look pale."

"I. . I just hope you guys can catch him soon." I answered, rubbing the back of my neck before resting my hands on the table, clasping them together. My foot tapped rather anxiously on the floor as my eyes were glued onto my slowly melting milkshake.

Recognizable warmth covered my hands, making me snap out of my intense stare. My eyes looked to the source to see fair skinned hands over my light brown ones. I bit the inside of my cheek, eyes darting over to meet 'Bee's.

"You're scared." He turned his body to face me.

". . I am," I admitted, lowering my head. "God, I'm terrified, 'Bee, and I hate it."

"I won't blame you for feeling this way; decepticons can be frightening to humans."

I leaned forward, letting my head thump onto the holoform's chest, ". . I don't want to be scared, 'Bee."

His chest rose up and back down as he sighed softly; his hand patted the top of my head, "If it will make you feel better, I can promise you no harm will come to you."

"How can I believe that?"

"Because I'll protect you."

"Aren't you Sam's guardian?"

"That doesn't restrict me from defending other human beings, Bella. I _am_ an Autobot."

"But he's your top priority."

"Yes, but so are you."

That definitely stunned me; did he really say that? _I_ was 'Bee's priority? Me?

I pulled away from his chest, looking at him, ". . I am?"

"Yes."

'Come on, Bella. Lighten up. You're seriously acting paranoid in a way that makes 'Bee solemn. Try to get off the topic, maybe it'll make things better for the both of you.'

". . So what does that make you? My knight in shining armor?" I scoffed jokingly with a light smile. "Or would it be my knight in shining metal?"

'Bee chuckled, "You could say that. But then I'd have to be Sam's knight as well."

It took everything I had to not burst into laughter at that. Imagining Sam as a shrieking princess in 'Bee's holoform arms as he carries him to safety was hilarious. Oh lord.

I shook my head, my hands sliding from underneath his as I covered my mouth, snorting quietly.

"What? What's so funny?"

"N-Nothing."

"Bella."

"It's nothing I swear!"

"What exactly are you imagining in that head of yours?"

His hands grasped my wrists, pulling them away from my lips which exposed my smile. Our eyes met again; a grin appeared on both of our faces before I let out a short laugh, turning away. That was when the sound of a photo snapping made me jump; my gaze landed on my two giggling best friends who were behind the side of the booth they sat on earlier (in front of the two of us).

"Well well, if I'm not mistaken with those sort of looks towards each other I see some chemistry going on here~" Jordan teased.

Mia held a white Fuji instamax mini 7 in her hands, smirking as she grasped a printed result of the surprise photo she took, "You guys actually look cute together." She waved the picture, letting it cool off which allowed the image to slowly appear.

"Ugh, I hate you guys!" I hissed.

"Aw come on, Bella. We got bored just standing by the juke box. Besides, this creeper was totally staring at my ass which made me _really_ uncomfortable." Jordan shivered.

"Would you want me to knock some sense into this creeper?" 'Bee asked in a offer sort of manner; his brow was raised.

"Woah, you'd do that for me?"

"Wha-?" I hit the side of his shoulder. "No! We aren't going to start anything here. This is a family friendly diner."

"Yeah, for perverts." Mia stuck out her tongue.

"You're not helping."

'Bee chuckled, "Your friends are quite interesting, Bella."

"Yup, we sure are; Bella's _sooo_ lucky to have us." Mia chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah; friends of the year award goes to you two weirdos."

"Hey, we are _special_ weirdos. Thank you very much." Jordan exaggeratedly huffed, crossing her arms.

'Bee and I both burst with laughter as my ombre haired friend smiled humorously at our reaction. Jordan was a funny one when she could be, especially when it came with comments.

"Oh, I just realized– I introduced myself, but never caught your names." The holoform cleared his throat, looking at the two with an expectant look.

"I'm Jordan."

"Mia."

"Mia, was it?"

"Yeah. .?"

"Would you mind if I held onto that photo you took?"

Mia looked surprised before looking at Jordan who expressed the same reaction, "Uh. . Sure," She handed over the print as 'Bee took it from her fingertips. "You'll need to take a photo of it for me and Jordan to keep."

"Is that the only condition?"

My attention was on 'Bee as he had been looking at the print as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. My hand reached out for my milkshake, pulling it over as I took a sip; eyes darting to the dessert.

"Yup."

"Then that's a fine deal. I'll have Bella take a photo of it with her phone."

"You don't have one?"

"Where I come from, that's not really necessary."

"Oooo, you got advanced technology or something?" Jordan asked.

"Something like that," 'Bee patted the top of my head with his free hand. "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I have to be on my way."

"Aw, seriously? That sucks."

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll see each other again, Jordan."

The sound of 'Bee sliding out from the booth made me turn my head. My eyes followed the holoform as he then exited the diner. I didn't even get the chance to see the picture.

'This sucks. .' I pouted before a giggle caught my ears.

I soon looked back up to see my smiling friends, ". . What?"

"There were so many sparks flying, I was afraid my hair would be set on fire." Jordan snickered.

"You guys are definitely a thing." Mia nodded.

"We are not! Come on you guys! I can't have a guy friend without you pairing us together." That was true.

"This is _way_ different though! I could totally sense the foreshadowing of romance."

"You're crazy, Jordan." I shook my head, picking up my milkshake and drinking up what was left.

"Your pairing name is 'B Team'!"

". . 'B Team'?" I almost fell to the side on how ridiculous the name sounded.

"Bella and B! B Team~" The fashionista started doing a little happy dance.

"I'm betting twenty bucks they hook up in a few months." Mia said, looking at Jordan; her mini camera still visual.

"When I look at this relationship, and the two involved, I see it'll take a few years before one of them makes a move. So I'll bet twenty for the years."

"You're on."

"Aw come on! You guys are really going to bet on this now?!" This was really embarrassing. "It is not going to happen! 100% guarantee!"

There was a few seconds of silence after my declaration.

". . . It's so going to happen."

"Totally."

"I HATE YOU GUYS!"

-  
 _ **October 23rd, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Bumblebee**_  
 _ **2:30 P.M**_  
 _ **Diner**_

After exiting the diner, I had the holoform walk over to my true form. In order to avoid trouble, I entered the 'vehicle' and closed the door just as I got in.

Both my hands held the photo up to see as my fingers fiddled with the sides of it; Bella was smiling openly with her eyes closed and head turned in her friends' direction. I had been doing the same as well, but my eyes were right on her as I held her wrists to expose her smile. We both looked happy in that moment.

I shook my head, letting out a sigh, 'Don't get attached. Then you'll have to mourn another human's passing.' Putting the photo on the dashboard, I deactivated the holoform.

::I'm gonna guess you were with the kid:: Sideswipe spoke from over the comm.

:: **She - needed - to know** ::

::You just gave her more of a reason to be anxious, 'Bee. She's a human, and one that's new to this conflict. Besides, she's safe; most 'cons in the area are either offline or run out of this city::

I hesitated on my response; that was true, but I still felt concerned for her. Just talking to Bella made me see how scared she was.

::Look, worry about your human, and we'll worry about the girl::

:: **I will - but - protection - needed** ::

::'Bee-::

:: **I - promised - her - I would** ::

Sideswipe sighed over the comm, ::You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, 'Bee. You know your job as of now is to watch over Sam::

:: **Protecting - all life - is - my job.** **Not just - Sam** ::

::Well, some of us Autobots are in the area. Don't forget that. As long as we're around, she's safe::

Not wanting to continue to argue about regards of protection over Bella, I merely whirred quietly in acknowledgment.

::If we're not in the area, well, you can act. Until that happens, you'll have to watch over Sam::

'Hmph. I'm _going_ to act when _I_ feel it is necessary.' Bella needed protection, and I had to make sure Swindle wasn't around anymore to put her in danger.

 **A/N; I wanted to put Jordan and Mia in this chapter because they** _ **are**_ **Bella's two good friends,** _ **and**_ **I haven't written them in the previous ones (Mia mostly urg)**  
 **On a side note, I love writing in 'Bee and the friendship that's growing between him and Bella, but I'm thinking of writing future chapters where it'll just be Bella with Sam or Mikaela or her two good buddies (Mia and Jordan) or even the other Autobots while they're still in the area.**  
 **Just for her own development, how you guys can see her as her own character, so you can know more about her, and her relationships/interactions with the other characters.**  
 **Don't worry though, this doesn't mean I'll be avoiding writing in 'Bee; he'll continue to pop in at some points c;**  
 **But yeah, that's all I have to put in this little note.**  
 **Thanks for reading~ \^^**


	8. Escort

es·cort  
noun  
ˈesˌkôrt/  
1.  
a person, vehicle, ship, or aircraft, or a group of these, accompanying another for protection, security, or as a mark of rank.

* * *

 _ **October 24th, 2007**_  
 _ **Wednesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **11:07 A.M**_  
 _ **High school**_

I gnawed down on the top of my mechanical pencil, eyes going from my lunch to the yellow fade painted wall. My body leaned forward a few centimeters towards the lunch table and back continuously. My thoughts were clouding my mind.

 _Everyone was back at school now. Of course not every citizen in South Gate agreed with this decision. They believed they were still in danger and that the attacker was still at large; I felt the same way about it. If Swindle was roaming around after our last encounter, that leaves me and this town in harm's way._

"I have never seen Bella like this."

"Is she always like this?"

"Only when she's got a lot to think about."

A hand rested over mine which made me come back to reality; it was Mia. She slowly lowered my hand that held the pencil with hers as she looked at me with a hint of concern. My body stopped its repeated movement as I then sat still.

"Bite any harder and you'll break the damn thing, Bells."

"Sorry. ." I scratched the side of my head, putting the pencil down.

"Are you thinking about that guy we've heard so much about?" Becca inquired with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"W-Wha-?" I looked over at Mia who looked away; the same happened when it came to Jordan. "You guys told them?"

"Well~~" Jordan's eyes rolled to the side as she rolled her 'l'.

I huffed, "It's not that big of a deal guys." I grumbled, grabbing my water bottle.

"It's not _that_ big of a deal?" Mia scoffed half-heartedly. "Bella, this is the first guy we've seen you with in months."

" _And_ he's cute." Jordan chimed in with a raise of her eyebrows and suggestive smile.

'Actually, he's a large metal robot that takes on the form of a yellow camaro with black stripes,' I wanted to say that out loud, but I knew I couldn't so I just kept quiet. 'But I guess we'll ignore that since his holoform looks attractive.'

"Hey, if you're not going to go for it, I'll gladly call dibs." Becca said with a smirk.

"Hey! I already did that before you." Mia stated, crossing her arms. "That blonde is mine if Bella won't have him."

"Oi! Oi," I grabbed my pencil, pointing it threateningly towards my group of friends. "No one is going to get 'Bee, alright?"

"Damn. . She's so possessive."

"No kidding."

'Only because you guys are boy predators and would gobble 'Bee up in less than a minute.' It's funny how he's supposed to be the guardian, but as of now I'm playing that role. This time it was against a much bigger threat than Decepticons; girls.

* * *

 _ **October 24th, 2007**_  
 _ **Wednesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **2:30 P.M**_  
 _ **High school**_

Class ended moments ago and I trudged outside of the large building wearily. My hand shifted the strap of my backpack that I held before yawning, lifting my empty hand and rubbing my eye.

"Mm. . Hm?" A familiar silver corvette stingray caught my sight when I lowered my hand.

'. . Sideswipe?' My head slanted to the side in a confused manner as I also saw his silver haired holoform leaning on the side of the vehicle.

His eyes soon caught my gaze; a smile soon raising on his face before he leaned off the car. The holoform walked over to me, seeming to ignore the stares he was getting from some of the students that were leaving to go home.

As soon as he stood in front of me, I raised a brow, "What are you-?"

"Sh," He cut me off with his hand covering over my mouth. Seriously? "I came here to pick you up."

Raising my own hand, I pulled his down and off my mouth so I could respond. "Why? I take the bus, it's not an issue."

"Well not today, princess." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, guiding me over to the awaiting vehicle. " _I'll_ be taking you home this afternoon."

"Oh. . Well, uh, I don't think Jordan will be too happy with that–" I glanced at the bus in the line of other buses with a small frown. "We kinda ride the same bus together."

"Ah don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand." He patted my shoulder as we then reached the car. "Hop on in, kiddo."

The passenger door popped open automatically, making me look back at my fellow high school students. No one saw. . Right? Shit, that would definitely _not_ be good.

"Relax, no one saw. If I wasn't careful with keeping my cover on the down low, Lennox wouldn't have sent me."

"Lennox was the one to send you?" I asked, watching as the holoform made his way over to the driver's side.

"Well with Optimus's approval, yes." He popped open the door. "Besides all that, I have to update you on some things that have been happening." With that said, he got inside, closing the driver's door afterwards.

Updates? Now that poked at my curiosity. Taking a step inside the car I put my backpack down on the car carpet. I soon sat myself down in the passenger's seat; the door shut behind me immediately afterwards.

"So. . What's there to know?" I looked at the holoform as he put his hands on the wheel.

"A few hours ago, Ironhide and the NEST team sent with him spotted Swindle."

My eyes widened at the response, "Seriously? Did he–"

"Well. . No, if you're thinking that Ironhide offlined him he didn't. The Decepticon made it difficult so he ran him out of the town." The holoform sighed with aggravation. The silver corvette stingray backed out of the parking spot it was in, already driving away from the school.

"So. . What does this mean? It's safe now?"

"No, not yet. Now that we know that Decepticon is still around we can't just up and leave this place."

A frown lowered on my face, "But you said–"

"I _know_ what I said, kid." Sideswipe said, cutting me off. "Just because we got a Decepticon running doesn't mean he won't be turning around. Those slaggers don't exactly go down without a fight for their 'glorious' Megatron." The sarcasm in his voice was evident and almost made me smile.

". . So. . You guys will be staying longer?"

"Probably."

That put me at ease. The Autobots and their human allies weren't leaving any time soon. The vehicle came to a stop at a red light; we would be near my house in a matter of ten minutes at the most. With a small smile, I couldn't help but squirm in my seat in happiness. I think Sides was able to tell how I felt as he had laughed shortly afterwards.

"You're _that_ excited on us sticking around, huh?"

"Well. . Yeah," I admitted with a bashful smile. "I think I'll have enough time to bond with 'Bee, but with you guys it'll be short."

"Soo you _want_ to get to know us? Correct me if I'm wrong." The car continued driving on the road once the green light flickered on once the red light went off.

"No, you're right. I'd like to get to know you guys, er, bots."

Sideswipe held back his laugh at the correction with a snort, "I didn't think you'd be so. . Friendly about all this. Usually humans who get pulled into a extraterrestrial conflict with the knowledge of large aliens aren't usually so happy. They'd do everything they could to get away from the situation."

"I guess I'm one of those special human beings then, huh?"

"A _very_ special one." The holoform hummed in agreement.

Once I leaned back on the seat, I allowed myself to relax. I turned my head to the right to watch the buildings and other cars that passed by. The scenery was soothing, and the presence of another Autobot made me feel safe; it was perfect. My eyes closed just as I took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"Wait–" My eyes fluttered open; my gaze went back to the silver haired holoform who had his eyes on the road. "How. . How do you know where I live?"

He hmphed, "Didn't 'Bee already tell you? The Autobots are keeping an eye on you."

"That human organization too?"

"Yup."

"NEST right? What does that stand for?"

"Nonbiological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty."

"Hm–" I raised my hand, drumming my fingers against my chin. "Interesting."

"Besides the questions you have for me, I gotta ask some myself."

"Shoot."

"Do you speak Spanish?"

That made me giggle, "A little, yes. Both sides of my [biological] family insisted that I had to know the language after all."

"Interesting. What's been going on with you and 'Bee? You've practically got him wrapped around your tiny finger more than Sam does."

"Really?" That made me think. How did _that_ even happen? "I wasn't really aware. But to answer your question, we're just warming up to each other and trying to be friends."

"Hm, that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Well with 'Bee it doesn't take too long for him to get attached or protective of someone, but that's in my opinion."

"How long did it take for him to act that way towards Sam?"

"Only one or two days before the battle of Mission City–" Sideswipe coughed. "Can't say I'm surprised since those two are the best of friends now."

". . Hm." That's the amount of time it took for me and 'Bee to actually become friends. Strange.

"Looks like you'll be the other human 'Bee'll be worrying about."

"It's startling to know he can be defensive of someone so quickly, but it's assuring."

"Well that's just 'Bee. . What exactly did he say to you when he visited you at the diner?"

Of course Sides knew, 'Bee did ask about my whereabouts. Why was I even surprised?

"He just. . Told me about Swindle and whats been happening."

"Yeah, he told me that. He wasn't supposed to say all that since we didn't want to make you more on edge then you already are. There's one part about your conversation that's been bothering me though."

"What's that?"

"Did he. . Promise you anything?"

Is that where this was leading? To _that_? Did it bother the other Autobots or something that Bumblebee swore he wouldn't let any harm come my way?

"Well yes, he told me that he would keep me away from danger." Something like that at least.

Sideswipe let out a long sigh, ". . Listen–not that I'm against what 'Bee said–I'd rather have you lean on the rest of us. He's got guardian duty, and he _knows_ his main responsibility is to protect Sam. _Our_ job is to keep an eye on _you_ so don't feel unprotected."

". . Alright." That was understandable. Bumblebee did have his charge to worry about; Swindle was after me to get to Sam on top of that, technically he was the top priority.

"But knowing 'Bee, he's probably going to do everything he can to keep to his word."

I didn't know why, but I laughed for a brief moment. "Why do I feel like you're right about that, Sides?"

"Because you're most likely getting to know 'Bee. You're probably going to be best friends by the time we leave."

"You think?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think we'd be able to be friends, Sideswipe?"

"I already like you, kid. My answer should be pretty obvious."

A smile twitched up my lips before I turned my head to look back out the window. If there's one thing I was able to comprehend, it was that you wanted to be on your ally's good side.

The silver corvette stingray soon came to a stop; the conversation we had took up the whole time of driving. The vehicle parked beside my house. "Well we're here."

The passenger's side door opened automatically for me as I grabbed the strap of my backpack. "Thanks for the ride, Sides."

"No problem–" I exited the vehicle, putting the strap of my backpack onto my shoulder as he spoke. "I'll probably be picking you up from school, just as a precautionary till we know Swindle is offline."

"You guys really want him dead?"

"He's a Decepticon, a high ranked one at that which is considered dangerous. Of course we want him dead."

My eyes rolled to the side as I took a few steps back from the vehicle, stepping onto the sidewalk. "Just asking."

"You're full of questions and I can understand why. But look, all you need to worry about is being able to get to school and back safely."

"I got it, Sides."

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded, waving him off as the door closed. "Alright, see ya."

With that, the Autobot drove off down the road. I was able to catch the sight of the holoform disappearing right as he turned to the right and going down a different street.

My phone buzzed in my jeans pocket, startling me in the process as I stood there. I lowered my hand, pulling it out before turning the screen on; a text was displayed.

 **Sam; Wanna hang out?**

My eyes squinted, checking the message over just so I _knew_ it was actually from him. Usually Sam wouldn't text me unless something major happened or he was having an issue.

 **Me; When exactly?**

I responded to the unusual text, pressing the send button. Curiously, I watched as he typed up his response before it popped up in the conversation.

 **Sam; Would tomorrow be ok?**

 **Me; I got practice tomorrow. I figured you'd remember that :[**

 **Sam; Oh yeah. Whoops. ^^; Would Friday be ok then? Sorry, I just need to talk with you.**

Ah yes there it was. Something was on his mind that he felt I was the one to go to. I didn't blame him though, Bumblebee was probably busy on look out for his safety, Mikaela was assumedly busy with her father, and Miles isn't exactly the best person to confide in. I've met the guy once and his head isn't really in the right place.

 **Me; That's fine. Meet me at the bleachers after school.**

 **Sam; Got it. Thanks Bells :)**

Once I felt the chat was over, I shut off my phone and put it back in my pocket before turning around and heading inside my home. It was quiet–at least for the first few minutes I entered.

"Sup nerd." Adrien greeted me; he wore his black framed glasses he would use only when he was reading.

I rolled my eyes, "Look in the mirror, you'll find a true nerd there."

"Y'know you don't have to be a nerd just because you wear glasses." He stuck out his tongue.

"I know, doofus." I raised my hand, pushing his face away as he laughed. "Now move."

"Geez, you're certainly eager to work."

"I _do_ have homework."

"Of course you do." He sighed. "Play with me on the Xbox later? Please?"

". . Sure."

"Yes! You're the best older step-sister I could have, Bella!"

"Yeah, probably because I'm the only one you'll ever have."

"Who knows? We might get a new addition pretty soon."

I gagged, "Please don't say that."

"Sorry but you never know, Bella. Anything can happen."

I scrunched up my nose as he smirked. I turned around and headed into the kitchen, shivering at the thought.

"We might actually become related somehow!"

"You wish."

Hopefully nothing will happen. If I can't deal with a younger step-brother, I don't think I can handle a younger brother or sister. I'm both good and not so good with kids, y'know?

* * *

 **A/N; Hello my lovely readers~ Long time no see ^^**  
 **Sorry I haven't updated in the previous week; school's got me** _ **pretty**_ **busy and I was sick for a few days**  
 **Many apologies to you guys who** _ **really**_ **really like this story**  
 **I made sure to update just for you :3**  
 **I just want to say thanks for reading and reviewing because it honestly drives me to not be so lazy and write xD**  
 **For me school should be over in two weeks so I'll be able to focus on writing this, my other project,** _ **AND**_ **another series I hope you guys will like**  
 **Anywho~**  
 **Thanks for waiting for this chapter and I hope you enjoyed \^^**


	9. Practice

prac·tice  
\ˈprak-təs\  
2.)  
to do something again and again in order to become better at it

* * *

 _ **October 25th, 2007**_  
 _ **Thursday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **3:10 P.M**_  
 _ **High school**_

"Bella, throw the ball!"

 _It probably isn't noticeable, but I'm currently at softball practice. They were held at least every Thursday nearby the football field. Playing the sport became a major hobby of mine, and I had my father to thank for it. He sorta passed down the passion on to me._

I ran over to the fallen neon yellow and red striped ball, crouching down before grasping it in my hand and getting back up. Once I turned around, I prepared myself to toss, "Here you go!" With all my strength, I threw the ball from where I stood to my sports partner and friend, Nat who was a few feet away.

She raised her hands, jumping from her left to her right, "I got it, I got it!"

"Catch it then!" I laughed, walking over; she caught it after juggling it in her hands.

"I got it." Nat grinned proudly.

"Good job," I patted her back. "You want a cookie?"

"Actually yes, I would like a cookie."

I shook my head before locking her into a playful neck hold. "Sorry to disappoint, but all you'll be getting is more sweat on that lovely uniform of yours." I then began messing up her hair as she squirmed to break free.

"God. . Dammit Bella! Why am I surprised?"

"Dunno," I laughed. "Maybe because you don't know me as well as you think."

She giggled, "Fuck you man."

"You wish."

"Alright ladies, break it up, break it up. No more rough housing." The coach walked over, clapping her hands together. "You can do that once practice is officially over."

"Aw you're no fun, coach." I stuck out my tongue playfully.

She cocked a brow towards me before raising her hand and pointing towards the field which was filled with other members of the team, "Get back on that field, Sainte." A faint smile was on her face.

I saluted, "You got it, coach."

"That goes for you too, Gills."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'." Nat groaned.

"Hey," I turned to look at the red head while jogging over to the others. "While you're over there grab the bat."

"No problem."

A surprised huff escaped my lips once I felt my back hit someone's chest. Immediately I had stopped walking, the feeling of irritation bubbled up. Did they not see me coming? Or was it one of those jocks that purposely made sure to have me bump into them? Maybe even Trent? Ugh, I remember he _did_ do that once with Jordan.

"Hey," I snapped, turning my head to look at the person. "Watch where you're-" My mouth immediately clamped shut when I saw a familiar warm face; it was 'Bee. ". . Going." My tone went from harsh to soft as I looked at the blonde with surprise.

"Well, I see you've clearly missed me." He chuckled.

"Oh-" Blood rushed to my cheeks out of embarrassment before an awkward smile raised on my face. "S-Sorry ehehe, I um. . Didn't see you there."

"Clearly," His tone was laced with amusement as I took a few steps back from the holoform, turning around to face him. "I take it you like walking backwards."

"Sometimes–" I confirmed sheepishly. "Only on the field because not that many people are around to bump into. I guess today just wasn't one of those days where I was lucky."

'Bee laughed, "I suppose so."

I put my hands on my hips, my head tilting to the side curiously, "What brings you here anyways?"

" _I_ was posted to be watching over you–" A recognizable silver haired man stepped out, resting his arm on the slightly shorter blonde. "He just wanted to tag along."

". . Seriously? You guys do realize I'm kinda in the middle of practice?" Actually it was near the end but eh.

"Oh we are all well aware." The gruff voice made me peak behind the two to see a taller rough looking holoform. He pulled the two apart, now standing in the middle of the both of them. He looked to be much older than 'Bee and Sides, and his blue eyes reflected a fiery spirit.

". . Ironhide?" I guessed from the looks of it as a smile raised on my face. "Is that you?"

"Yes, and I'll have you know that _I_ am in charge of protection duty regarding you." Much to 'Bee and Sides obvious disdain, 'Hide pulled the two in close harshly. "These two can't seem to stop butting heads."

"That is not true!"

"So _not_ true."

"Quiet, both of you!" Ironhide ordered with a short growl; the two immediately piped down.

I laughed, "Well, I hate to ask but shouldn't you be watching Sam, 'Bee?"

"I snuck out the garage." He admitted as the silver haired holoform beside him tsked. Ironhide released the two from his grasp as he then crossed his arms. "Sam was busy with his work and I. . I got bored of just sitting in there."

"What sport is this again?" Sides asked.

"Softball." I answered.

"Interesting."

"So. . You two were originally supposed to be guarding me without being caught and 'Bee's just here because he wants to be."

"Pretty much."

". . Huh."

"Bella!" Nat called, catching my attention as I glanced back at her. She held the silver metal bat as she approached us. "I got. . The bat. ." She trailed off, her eyes clearly landing on the three that were in front of me.

". . Um. ." My lips zipped shut, the explanation I created in my head blanking out.

"Who exactly are these guys, Bella?"

I cleared my throat, "Nat, these are my friends. 'Bee, Sides, and 'Hide meet my softball partner Nat."

"Oh." She looked intrigued with them, probably curious on why there were even here or just because of their odd names. I couldn't blame her; coming up with three different human names for these Autobots in that instant proved to not be easy.

"I'm gonna guess Nat is short for Natalie, right?" Sides smiled.

"Correct you are." She smiled rather shyly. Oh boy.

" _Nat_." I gave her the 'don't-do-it' look. His holoform may look handsome but I wouldn't aim for Sideswipe.

"What? I'm just trying to get to know your friends." She giggled. "Besides, I've only heard about 'Bee. He's even cuter than I imagined~"

Curiously, I looked at the blonde for his reaction. His head was lowered, his blue eyes darting from side to the side just as his cheeks glowed with color. He was embarrassed.

"Looks like you're the talk amongst the girls, 'Bee." Sides wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Can't blame 'em, he's an attractive one."

"Shut up." Bumblebee grumbled, shoving the other away as his head then lifted.

"Get along you two." Ironhide sighed, watching the two carefully like a father with his two sons.

"Soo what brings you fine gentlemen out here to our highschool?" Nat questioned.

"Just checking up on Bella–"

"Yup."

"She's like a little sister." Sides soon pulled me over to his side, rustling my hair. "We gotta make sure she's safe."

"Hey!" I squirmed out of his grasp with the help of 'Bee who was luckily near as the other Autobot laughed.

"Ooo, well since you guys are here would you want to play some softball?" A familiar challenging smirk lifted on Nat's face.

Oh god. That wasn't the best idea since they were an advanced robot species. "Nat-"

"That sounds like an interesting test." Ironhide grunted.

"I'm up for it. Let's play." Sideswipe grinned.

'Bee staid surprisingly quiet, but we met each other's gaze. His electric blue eyes had a tint of recognizable anxiety in them. ". . Bella."

"Yeah? Is something wrong, 'Bee?" We both turned to face each other as the three chatted away, practically provoking each other at who would win or who was better.

"I've. . I've never. ." His voice became worryingly quiet. Those blue eyes drifted away from looking into mine to the side as he bit down on his bottom lip.

"You've never. .?" It took a few seconds before it clicked. I understood what he was hinting at. "Holy shit. . You've never played softball."

"I-I haven't had the chance to. ." 'Bee scratched the back of his head, his eyes soon boring into mine once again. He looked shameful just saying that.

"That's cool, there's no need to feel bad about that at all, 'Bee." I assured before thinking it over. "C-Can't you search it up on the Internet? You _are_ an advanced robot species who has access to that sort of stuff, right?"

"Yes but I think it'd be nice to learn from you." A smile curled up his lips before he laughed for a short moment. "I mean. . You _are_ an expert at this sport."

Expert was putting it lightly, I just played for the kicks. It was a fun sport. "You _really_ want me to?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"Hm. . So I gotta make an Autobot a pro at softball in a matter of minutes before they go crazy with a small game of it?" I raised and tapped my pointer finger on my chin, my eyes drifting up to the sky as I considered it.

"I think it's possible."

It was quiet for a few seconds before I looked back at the blonde, ". . Sounds like an interesting challenge. I'm in." A confident smile twitched on my lips.

* * *

 _ **October 25th, 2007**_  
 _ **Thursday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **3:30 P.M**_  
 _ **High school**_

After the challenge was declared, softball practice had ended. Coach didn't seem to notice that I and Nat had mostly chatted with the three holoforms the last ten minutes. I was quick to grab a bat, assuring that I'd put it back into the storage equipment room once the game was over. Thank God I was on her good side.

 _Things were made confusing but reliving when Sides and 'Hide said they'd search up how to play. Honestly, I found it puzzling how 'Bee wanted to learn how to play softball from me when he had the advantage of using the Internet. Eventually though, I was sure I would find out why._

"Alright 'Bee," I walked away from the field to the awaiting blonde, holding out the bat for him. "Let's see you _try_ to swing."

"I see the emphasis you're putting on try." He noted with a small smile, taking it from my hand.

"Come on you got this."

"It would be better if you could demonstrate it for me before I try anything."

". . Really?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, come here." I beckoned him over as he did, the bat soon back in my hands. "Now, watch closely alright?"

"Alright."

I tightened my hold on the lower side of the grip of the bat, holding it up before turning my body, positioning myself. "So, this is how you'll stand and how you'll hold the bat. Once the ball comes flying your way just aim and swing." Demonstrating a swing, I lowered the bat before turning to look at 'Bee. He looked so focused on how I moved it was surprising. "God I'm sorry, I'm a terrible teacher." This was true. Don't ever trust me with teaching something.

"No, no, that was good. I think I get the concept."

"You think?"

"Mmhm," 'Bee nodded. "I'd just like to try something to fully understand it."

"Go right ahead."

The blonde strode over to where I stood, stepping behind me after. As soon as I felt his chest on my back, I glanced back at him with a raised brow before the feeling of his hands covering mine reeled my attention; my heart skipped a beat.

'What? No!' I shook the feeling off as my cheeks burned red. 'Stop. You gotta remember he's a robot, Bella. Boundaries.'

"Are you ok?"

"I-I'm fine." I took in a deep breath; my cheeks lost their glow. That definitely surprised me. Why did I feel like that? Hormones? Agh I hope not. "What is it you wanted to do?"

"Just go through the steps again."

"Got it." After that, I made sure to repeat the procedure. Somehow with 'Bee's hands over mine, I felt more tense than I did a few moments ago. It confused me to no end because I did have his hands on mine like this before but I didn't react like this.

"Hey," Sideswipe coughed, now standing to the side. "If you guys are done flirting I got a proposition."

"We weren't flirting." I muttered before 'Bee's hands slipped away from mine. "I was teaching him how to play softball." I took a step away from him, lowering the bat as my gaze drifted elsewhere.

"I know flirting when I see it and he was definitely trying to make a move on you."

Bumblebee sighed with exasperation, "What exactly _is_ your proposition, Sideswipe?" He asked.

"Well since you were taught by a pro and I took it upon myself to do some research on the sport, I challenge you to a softball duel."

". . What kind of softball duel exactly? You do know there has to be more than two players in order for it to be softball right?"

"Obviously I know that, but I was thinking we could see who could swing the ball at a greater distance."

I turned towards 'Bee, feeling concerned with where this was going. "I don't think accepting this challenge would be a good idea." I advised in a whisper.

Bumblebee's holoform looked back at me, seeming to contemplate before looking back at Sideswipe's holoform, "I accept your challenge."

"Aye dios mio. ." I face palmed myself, shaking my head.

"Great, I'll tell 'Hide and Nat to set everything up." The silver haired man then walked away and over to where the field was.

"I'm not trying to say I don't believe in you–" I spoke, staring at the blonde as he stepped in front of me. "I just. . It's like having an amateur against a pro and usually those type of things never work in favor of the beginner. Not unless it's one of those clichè movies."

"Come on now, Bella. Don't be so hopeless–" He took the bat from my grasp. "Continue teaching me, I'm sure I'll be ready by the time they have everything together."

Aa few seconds of silence passed as I just looked at 'Bee before letting out a sigh. "Ok. ." The least I could do is put some faith in him.

'He's an alien, Bella.' I crossed my arms, watching the holoform mimic what I did earlier. 'He'll get it in no time.'

* * *

 _ **October 25th, 2007**_  
 _ **Thursday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **3:40 P.M**_  
 _ **High school**_

 _After we were given a few more minutes of training, it was time. The gist of softball was now memorized in Bumblebee's head and I made sure of it. Everyone had their positions and the two Autobots were destined to face off. . In the form of a human sport._

"Alright so who's going to swing first?" Nat looked between Sides and 'Bee.

"I will." The silver haired holoform held out his hand, smiling as the red head handed over the bat.

"Good luck to you both."

"Remind me _why_ we're doing this again?" I shouted, now standing besides 'Hide as he put a softball glove on. Thanks to Nat, I adorned the armor and helmet that a catcher would in a softball game.

"Because those two just don't know when to stop." Ironhide muttered. "Don't worry, I'm sure this will be over _very_ soon."

"What makes you say that?" I looked at him.

He chuckled darkly, "You'll see. Take your position, little mouse."

"R-Right. ." I felt my face go pale from the way he laughed before walking over to where Sideswipe was. Suddenly I felt grateful I wasn't those two.

"Are you sure you want to be catcher, kid?"

"Yeah, I got this." I stood behind him, crouching down as I got my glove ready.

"Something's telling me this is going to terribly wrong." 'Bee spoke up from my right, clear worry on his face. "Especially with 'Hide as pitcher."

"I'm not going to hit her." 'Hide insisted. "I'll have you know, my aim is the best. You'd be wise to remember that, Bumblebee."

"Bella, I really don't think _this_ is a good idea. You could get hurt and I-"

"'Bee, 'Bee, 'Bee," I got up to my feet, putting both of my hands on his shoulders. ". . I'll be fine, ok?"

"But what if the softball impacts your cheek or even your face?"

"If I get hit- well- you're free to try to beat 'Hide up." I suggested.

"I'd like to see him try!" The weapon specialist yelled.

". . You should let me be the catcher."

"I'm not going to get hurt, 'Bee. You have to trust 'Hide."

The holoform's lips twitched to the side, his eyebrows creased in thought as his eyes looked from me to the left and right. ". . Fine." He then stepped to the side, letting Nat guide him away and onto the outer field.

"See?" Sideswipe had turned to look at me. "I told you it doesn't take too long for him."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah yeah, you've proven your point. What do you want? Praise?"

"Nope, but I _do_ want sweet victory against that scout."

"Of course you do." I murmured, my eyes going from the silver haired man to Nat. She put a softball mitt on her hand and then one on 'Bee who inspected it as if it was some sort of weapon. Shaking my head, I crouched back down, readying myself. "Are you ready?"

"Yup."

"Signal 'Hide and get ready then."

"Do your worst, 'Hide!" Sideswipe shouted, raising the bat.

"Oh, I'm going to have fun with this!"

I shut my eyes, raising the glove to catch the softball if Sides missed. I braced myself shortly afterwards until the sound of the ball pinging off metal reached my ears. Re-opening my eyes, I saw the ball flying _very_ high in the air.

My jaw dropped just as I got up to my feet, "Holy shit!"

"I got it!" Nat screamed at the top of her lungs, running across the field with 'Bee. "We got it!"

"Aye yai yai. . I. ." I looked at the smug Sides completely dumbfounded as he glanced back at me. "How did- Wh-What?"

"Did I forgot to mention our holoforms are known to be exceptionally strong?"

"Uh yeah! You kinda did."

The silver haired man chuckled, "My bad."

I shook my head, "I swear. . You large robots-"

"We're back!"

I nearly fell on myself as I felt my softball partner jump onto me from the side. "Jesus, Nat!"

She breathed heavily, pulling away from me before presenting the ball to me with a loop side grin. "We caught it."

"Did you mark the distance?"

"Yup."

"Good." I took it from her hand, turning around to face Ironhide afterwards. "Hey 'Hide, catch!" With that, I threw it towards him.

The holoform raised the mitt in the air, catching it in that instant before lowering it back down. "Got it."

"Looks like your up next, champ." Sideswipe handed the bat over to 'Bee once he took off the glove.

Nat gave 'Bee an energetic smile with a thumbs up, "You got this, 'Bee." She cheered him on.

The blonde nervously looked at her then at me before I patted his back assuringly. He took in a deep breath just as I guided him over to stand where Sideswipe did minutes ago. "Bella."

"Yeah?" I looked up at him after I crouched behind him.

"Do you think I can do this?"

I bit the inside of my cheek; I wanted to calm him of his nerves, I really did. I didn't want him to doubt himself. I nodded shortly afterwards, "I _know_ you can. I believe in you, 'Bee." I said with a genuine smile.

Bumblebee's holoform looked back at me silently with surprise at what I said before he immediately turned away. I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but I saw red dusted on his cheeks.

'Is he blushing?'

"Ready when you are, scout."

Ironhide's voice pulled me from my thoughts as I then looked to see 'Bee had the bat raised. A glimmer of determination was in those blue eyes. He was ready.

"Throw it."

"I've been waiting for this moment." The ball was chucked from 'Hide towards Bumblebee.

I raised the mitt, ready to catch the ball in case 'Bee missed but was happy to hear the sound of it bouncing off the bat. I got up to my feet, watching the ball go flying in the air; Nat and Sideswipe were running out to catch it.

"I. . I did it–" 'Bee laughed in disbelief, turning to me as he dropped the bat. "I did it, Bella! I was able to hit the ball!" He scooped me up in his arms, hugging me close.

"You did it! Good job, 'Bee!" I returned the hug before he spun me around which made me giggle. He was so happy, I couldn't help but feel just as happy for him.

"We got the results!" Hearing Sideswipe huffing and puffing made me look to see he ran over with Nat; they were both sweating. They must have been running like crazy from the looks of it.

'Bee lowered me down, his arms around my waist released me as we then just stood by each other. We both looked at the two as Nat tried catching her breath to speak.

"Did you measure the distance?"

"Y. . Yeah." She wheezed, bending over as her hands were on her thighs.

"Well who swung farther?"

"By a few centimeters. . 'Bee hit farther." She answered after recovering her pace of breath.

"Really?" The blonde's face lit up. "I-I did?"

"Yup, looks like you got some sort of hidden strength in those muscles of yours." Sideswipe smiled, resting a hand on his hip.

"Well, I guess relying on human resources is proven better than depending on the Internet." 'Bee wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

I smiled, proud of the result of my short lived teaching before putting my own arm around his waist. "I guess my lesson paid off."

"The games not yet finished!" The booming voice made the four of us turn to see Ironhide as he picked up the metal bat that laid on the grassy ground. "I get a chance at swinging."

". . Seriously?" Sideswipe moaned.

"Yes, either you or Bumblebee will pitch the ball. If you don't decide, I will choose."

"Fine, fine. Hold your horses, old timer–" Sideswipe bent down, picking up the softball. Ironhide smacked him upside the head once he stood back up. "Hey!"

"I _am not_ old."

"Alright alright you're not old. Relax." The silver haired holoform then walked over to where 'Hide stood as pitcher. "Get ready."

"We might want to stand back." Bumblebee said shortly afterwards, his hand moving from my shoulders to grasping my arm as he pulled me and Nat to the side.

"Throw it!"

"Alright." Sideswipe readied himself before tossing it with all his strength towards 'Hide.

In that instant, the bat met the ball and it went flying. When I say flying, I don't mean Bumblebee-and-Sideswipe-swung-it flying, I mean it went Ironhide flying. I couldn't even see the damn thing!

"Oh my god." Nat breathed. Her eyes looked like they could pop out from her sockets!

"I win." The weapon specialist stated, having walked over to us and holding out the bat for us to take.

"Aw what?" Sides looked at the rough looking holoform. "That doesn't count!" He protested before jogging over.

"Not cool." 'Bee grumbled.

"Are you kidding me?!" My teammate collapsed to her knees. "How long do you think it'll take to find that ball?!"

"It's a lost cause." Sideswipe patted her head. "Forget about it, Nat."

"How in the hell are you so strong?!" The red head looked towards 'Hide.

"Training, that's how." He curtly responded.

I shook my head, crossing my arms before I noticed an unmistakable pair of NEST soldiers who were watching from a distance. "Lennox! Epps!" I ran over to them, leaving the three Autobots with the dramatically crying Nat.

"Hey kid, I see you and the big guys are getting along," Epps pointed out.

"We're working on becoming friends." I said nonchalantly with a shrug. "How long have you guys been standing here?"

"We just arrived actually." Lennox laughed. "Just in time to confirm 'Hide's holoform is as strong as he actually is."

I couldn't help but snicker, "Unfortunately yes, he is just as strong as he is in his robot form."

"Well, we didn't just come here to invade your bonding session, we came here with something to give to you."

"What's that?" I inquired.

"Hold out your hands." Once I did as told, Lennox stepped forward, pulling out something from his pocket. "I really shouldn't be giving this to you but. . This little Decepticon terrorization is going to be coming to an end shortly." He rested a small gun in my hands.

". . A gun?"

"Flare gun–" Epps corrected, walking up to stand beside Lennox. "If we or the Autobots aren't there when that Decepticon strikes. . We'll need you to fire this so we'll know where you are."

My hands felt cold as the metal rested in my palms. This was considered a firearm, so it wasn't a weapon but if someone saw it in my hands they'd see it as one. I could be considered dangerous. I felt my mouth become dry as I examined the gun quietly.  
". . W-Why are you giving this to me?"

"We're just preparing for the worst case scenario where we're not there to defend you. Once that Decepticon is outta here for good we'll take it back." Epps responded.

"We don't want you to feel unsafe, Isabella. We just need to make sure if anything happens to you and we're not there, we'll be prepared. With this we'll know where you are and immediately come to your rescue once its fired."

I licked my lips, swallowing down a lump in my throat before slowly nodding. ". . Ok."

"Keep it hidden, alright? Make sure to keep it on you at all times."

"If it's loaded, how many flares does it have?"

"Three at the most, just enough for you to use. Do you know how to use it?"

"I-I think so."

"Here, let me show you how to use it." Lennox put his gloved hands over the weapon and eventually they held both of mine.

As he demonstrated the usage of the flare gun, my eyes wandered over occasionally to the three holoforms. 'Bee had to be the only one who was looking back my way with an unsettled frown.

 _Somehow in those few minutes I knew this chase would be over soon. The Decepticon known as Swindle wouldn't be an issue any longer. NEST and the Autobots would be finishing this hunt once and for all. But at what price?_

 **A/N; Wow, I haven't updated** _ **this**_ **quickly since I first published the story. Since I have two days off from school, I decided to write this chapter up (rather eagerly I might add xD)**  
 **I've missed writing some good ol' Bella and 'Bee fluff, so I decided to put some in this chapter**  
 **They're so adorable ;u;**  
 **And since I haven't written in Epps or Lennox I wanted to put them in towards the end since they'll popping up** _ **a lot**_ **more in future chapters with Bells**  
 **Thanks for reading and being so patient with me when it comes to posting chapters, it means a lot ^^**


	10. Assault

as·sault  
əˈsôlt/  
verb  
1.  
make a physical attack on.

* * *

 ** _October 26th, 2007_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _2:20 P.M_**  
 ** _High school_**

"So you guys are _really_ going to hang out?"

"Yeah, is it that surprising?"

"A little-" A loud 'hush' from a student nearby made Mikaela roll her eyes before she continued to speak with me. She sat to the right of me as we were both near the back of the classroom. "I'm just happy you guys are becoming friends and talking."

"Well it's a counselor and patient kind of relationship." I shrugged. "But I guess you could call it friendship."

 _Currently I was in English class, the final period of the school day. Thank God. Luckily for me I had Mikaela to talk with since we shared the same class. I didn't get the chance to talk with her at all these past few days, mainly because of how her father negatively reacted to the government allowing us to go back to school on such short notice. He didn't let her go to school the first two days back until he felt it was safe for her, so I was ecstatic when I saw her walking through the halls of this hell hole. We were able to catch up pretty quickly but it wasn't surprising. She and I were_ _very_ _close._

"Did he tell you what he wanted to talk about though?" I only 'hmphed' in response, my attention going back to the paper that was given to all the students. "Maybe he's jealous you stole his guardian's attention."

"Ha ha very funny." I laughed sarcastically, looking back at a smiling Mikaela. "I doubt it's because of that. I'll have you know 'Bee was the one who decided to pop up with my two temporary defenders."

"It's cute though, you're bonding with them, Bells."

"I never thought I'd be aquatinted with alien robots. I guess anything is possible."

"That's very true." She laughed. "Where are you guys going to meet up anyways?"

"You are being so nosy right now, y'know that, Mick?"

"He's my boyfriend and you're my best friend, Bella. It shouldn't be surprising when I start questioning."

"Right right, because you want us to get along." I rolled my eyes.

"You two already are and I'd like to keep it that way. I think we both remember how you were when you first met him; not too friendly."

"Because he kept pestering me, might I remind you. You know how I feel when someone does that; annoyed as hell."

"Well just assure me you won't be a bitch during your hang out."

"I won't, I won't. I promise–"

"You promise me, Bella?"

"Oh my god, yes, Mikaela. I promise."

". . Good. Make sure to tell me if he talks about any other girls or me, ok?"

"Seriously, Mikaela?"

"Yes I'm being serious, Bella."

My lips tightened as we just stared at each other afterwards. She was being serious. A minute passed before I blinked and sighed. "Fine."

"Love you~"

"Yeah yeah, you only love me for my intel."

"No I love you because you're my Bella." She leaned over from her desk, wrapping an arm around me before bringing me in a arm hug. "You're _my_ best friend, no one is amazing as you. I'm glad you're in my life."

"Well I see you got touchy very fast–" I laughed quietly; the side of my head gently tapped the side of hers as she rubbed my arm. "But I feel the same way. I'm happy you're still around this place. . I love you, Mikaela." Sisterly way of course.

"I love you too, Bella."

"You guys are _really_ gay." A football player who sat in front of us muttered; his attention on our now ruined tender moment.

"Fuck off, Derrick." I hissed.

* * *

 ** _October 26th, 2007_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _2:40 P.M_**  
 ** _High school_**

My thumb tapped on the dark screen of my phone, my reflection clear to show my minor impatience that was beginning to grow. School had ended only ten minutes ago and I was _still_ waiting by the bleachers for Sam.

'Where the hell is he?' That was when I saw the guy. He was running over with his backpack like a mad man.

"Sorry, sorry! I-I'm sorry I kept you waiting." He said as he slowed down once reaching me.

"It's cool, at least you didn't keep me waiting for thirty minutes." I did promise Mikaela I would keep my attitude in check.

"So where do you want to go to hang out, Bella? Would you want to stay here or walk to somewhere else?"

"I don't really know any nearby cafes or restaurants or diners, so let's sit on the bleachers." I gestured over to them; it was partially empty, but there were some students left.

"Alright."

It was quiet after that; we just walked across the grassy field towards the bleachers together. Memories of yesterday flashed in my mind; Nat and Sides partially flirting, 'Hide being the rough guy he is, and Bee's happiness. Somehow the different side of the Autobot was stamped into my brain. Seeing Bumblebee act so innocent was cute; he was like a little kid.

I cleared my throat, wiping my mind of the thought. "What is it you want to talk about, Sam?" I asked as we both sat down on the second to highest bleacher.

"It's about the whole finding-out-your-best-friend-and-her-boyfriend-are-harboring-an-alien-secret thing."

Guess I won't be reporting to Mikaela then.  
I raised a brow, "Why do you want to talk about that? I don't really have an issue with knowing."

"I-I know you don't, 'Bee's been telling me about how you guys are getting all buddy-buddy, but that's not the point-"

"Wait. Did you say 'Bee's been telling you about how we're bonding?"

". . Um. . Yes." The regret on Sam's face at confirming that was clear as day. He clenched his fist before face palming himself. "God you. . You weren't suppose to know that. 'Bee's just been really happy these past few days and-"

As soon as he began rambling, I made sure to cut him off with a raise of my hand. "Sam,"

"Hm?"

"It's fine. Please just continue on with what you wanted to talk about."

"Right, well I was thinking about how you got pulled into all of this species conflict so suddenly and I felt like I needed to talk with you about it. I-I know what it feels like–I still do–so I can understand if you're feeling. ." He trailed off, trying to find the right word.

"Unsettled? Anxious? Tense?" There were so many other words to describe how I felt about all this.

"All of the above. I mean. . You finding out was totally not expected. I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to be apart of this war because you don't. Keeping the secret about them is the only thing that you actually have to do."

I rested my elbows on my thighs, clasping my hands together and leaned forward afterwards. My chin rested on top of my two hands as my eyes darted from the right and left of the field in thought. My involvement wasn't necessary and yet I felt like Sam; there was no choice. Team Autobot.

". . I. . I want to be of some sort of help with all this."

"What?"

"It's like you said, Sam, I'm already connecting with them. Hell, I hate to admit that I'm starting to care about those alien robots. . But I do." This was true. The more I bonded with them, the more I began to like them. "I'm not saying I'll run out into a battlefield with an assault rifle and grenade, I'm saying I'll just show my support from the sidelines. . Somehow." I really couldn't do shit. I was as defenseless as a puppy. Shooting Swindle in his eye with a nail gun didn't count or make me some sort of soldier, I did that solely on instinct.

". . And you're sure about that?"

"Positive. If you and Mikaela can do it then so can I."

"You're really brave, Bella. You're taking this all in really _really_ well."

I scoffed, "If you saw me with a Decepticon you would _not_ be saying that."

"Why's that?"

". . Because when I encountered one for the first time I–" The memory of Swindle's face invading my personal space and his hand inching closer to my small body came to mind. "I was terrified. For the first time in a _very_ long time I felt complete fear. God I was scared shitless, Sam."

"I know that feeling, believe me. Optimus told me you shot him."

"Yeah, with a freakin' nail gun _and_ I managed to miss the first few shots I fired. I got lucky when one scraped his eye."

"You reacted at the right time and had the perfect tool. But they call it optic."

"What?"

"They call their eyes optics."

"Optics. .? What other names do they have for their body parts?"

"They call their hearts sparks, but that's as much as I know from 'Bee. I still have a lot to learn."

"So do I."

"Like what?"

"Self-defense and how to handle a weapon. I need to be prepared the next time a Decepticon decides to come running this way."

 _If you were wondering, I took the flare gun with me to school. Don't worry, I was_ _very_ _careful on where I hid it. . Well, it's in my backpack, but I swear it's hidden really well! Better to be prepared for a Decepticon than sorry._

"Think you could teach me once you master all that?" Sam asked rather shyly.

"We'll see." I laughed at his tone.

"Y'know I'm really glad I have a friend like you, Bella-"

"Mm."

"There aren't that many people our age who actually _know_ about the Autobots. It feels good to have someone besides Mikaela to talk to about 'em. I've just been so focused on school that I haven't been socializing with anyone other than you, Mikaela, 'Bee, or Miles."

"You _still_ talk with that guy?"

"Is it surprising?

"Just a little." I casually shrugged. "He's a weird one."

"Yeah I _know_ he is, but he's my best friend."

"Isn't 'Bee your best friend?"

"Well extraterrestrial robot wise, yes. He's also my guardian-"

"Oh yes." I slowly nodded, straightening my back before pulling off the strap of my backpack from my shoulder. I put the backpack down before unzipping it.

"He lives with me, Bells."

"I figured he did since he's in charge of your safety." Carefully, I fished around in my sea of school supplies, pulling out my half filled water bottle afterwards.

". . Y'know what Bella?"

"What?" I screwed off the bottle cap, taking a quick sip.

"We should all hang out."

I lowered the water bottle onto my lap, "Um. . Who's we and where exactly?"

"I don't want it to sound weird or anything, but I was thinking that you, me, Mikaela, and 'Bee could just hang out at my place."

"At your place?" That actually didn't sound weird at all; if it was me and him at his place then that would be an entirely different story.

"Yeah, it'd be on a weekend."

I contemplated the idea of hanging out with the three. It _would_ be nice and Mikaela did say she liked it that we were becoming friends. 'Bee would be there so it wouldn't so awkward if the two decided to make out. He's not a bad person to talk with.

"Hm, that sounds fine."

"Really?" Sam smiled.

"Yeah."

"T-That's great! I'll make sure to tell you the date when it's set."

"Alright." I smiled looking at him. "So what else would you want to talk about Sammy?"

After that question was asked, Sam went rambling about his work and how it was stressing him out, how keeping 'Bee hidden was getting harder since he continuously snuck out, and his parents. When Mikaela popped into the conversation it was nothing negative, in fact it was all positive. Love struck was written all over his face when he talked about it her; it was cute.

"Y'know Sam-"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad Mikaela has you, and I'm glad you have her. You deserve each other."

". . Thank you, Bella." He smiled before getting up to his feet. "I'm going to go get a drink of water."

"You can just have a sip from my water bottle–" I raised it up for him only to have it pushed back down.

"No, it's cool. There's a water fountain around the corner of the school building, plus if I did take a swig from your water bottle it'd be like an indirect kiss so. . Yeah." With that, he was off and going down the bleacher stairs.

". . Seriously?" I looked over my water bottle. What was he? Twelve? "Meh, doesn't matter." It was almost empty anyways; everyone who had been hanging around left as we had been chatting. After finishing it off by drinking what was left, a scream pierced my ears. My head shot up in alarm, looking from side to side for the source. "The hell. .?"

"BELLA!" That was Sam!

"Sam?!" My hand released the water bottle, letting it thud to the ground before I grabbed my backpack. I bolted down the stairs, running over to the back of the school.

"HELP ME!"

'Oh my god, please tell me he's ok.' I thought with panic. 'If it's a Decepticon I'll need to pull out the flare gun.'

"Sam-!" As soon as I turned the corner where the water fountain was, a fist collided into my right cheek. Just from the brute force, I fell and everything just went black.

* * *

 ** _October 26th, 2007_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _— P.M_**  
 ** _?_**

My cheek was throbbing and my jaw ached; those were the things that I could feel when I gained conscious. I groaned quietly, my eyes slowly opening. The taste of blood was on the tip of my tongue, and I could tell my nose was running.

How long had I been unconscious? What even happened? Everything was blurry, but I could tell I wasn't at school anymore. The surroundings were different.

When my vision cleared, my eyes widened at the sight in front of me; everything was upside down. "What? W-Where?" I sniffled, only to regret it as I saw red droplets hit the ground beneath me. It looked like I had a nosebleed earlier since I could see dark red splats of dried blood.

"You humans and your fluids–" The recognizable voice made me turn pale. "Disgusting." Swindle was in front of me; his golden optic still cracked from the last time I encountered him.

"Clean her up before she makes an ever bigger mess, Swindle." A more menacing looking Decepticon growled just as he exited and left my sight.

"Where am I?"

"You're at our little hideout. Consider yourself our. . Guest."

I squirmed but found no avail as I was struggling. I was almost like a shark out of water; flopping and unable to escape. After stopping, the rope holding me up was cut and I fell to the ground with a 'oof!'.

I coughed, cringing at the impact before rolling onto my side. "Well. . That wasn't so bad." I muttered while raising a hand, wiping away the blood running down my nose.

"Is that so?"

"I've experienced worser drops." I muttered.

That was when that red haired holoform appeared from thin air, grabbing my wrist. "Having a smart mouth won't get you anywhere, Isabella." He then yanked me up to my feet.

"Where's Sam?" I demanded, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"He's right over there, you can join him." He chuckled, pointing towards a heart wrenching sight; Sam was knocked out and laid nearby the wall.

"Sam!" I grit my teeth, pulling myself out of Swindle's grasp before rushing over to my unconscious friend. I got down on my knees once I reached him, immediately looking him over. "Oh my god, Sam. . Sam."

"He put up quite a fight–but just like you–he didn't last very long."

I became silent, scowling in the direction of the holoform before I looked back at Sam. All the words I could think of to say towards Swindle was just smart and things I was sure to make him tick. I _had_ to be quiet in this situation. Me and Sam were _both_ being hold captive by two Decepticons.

"You know, Isabella, I think I like you better when you're not talking. Keep it that way and I can assure you no further harm will come towards Sam." The holoform then vanished. "Now be a good little human and stay here." With that, Swindle briskly vacated the area.

As soon as I heard those booming footsteps fade away, my focus went straight back to Sam. "Sam," I called quietly, internally praying his eyes would open. "Sam please wake up."

He mumbled something in response, slightly shifting onto his side as his eyes remained close. He was conscious!

"Sam," I put both my hands on his cheeks, patting them gently. "Wake up!"

"Bella. .?" He groaned just as his eyes opened; once they landed on me they widened. "Oh my god, Bella! Your cheek!" He scrambled up and off my lap, soon sitting in front of me.

"Yeah, I can feel a lot of pain coming from it."

"God, I'm so sorry. I-I shouldn't have called for you-"

"Are you kidding me? If you didn't call you would have been kidnapped by Decepticons without anyone even knowing."

"You being taken as well isn't the greatest end, Bells. We could have prevented you from getting that nasty bruise."

"Well once we get out of here I'm going to get an ice pack. It'll cool down and eventually it'll fade away."

"How exactly do you think we're going to get out of here, Bella?"

"They left us unguarded, Sam—" I trailed off, my eyes soon drifting from him and landing on something that opened a new door; our backpacks. "—And I _may_ have something that can get the Autobots to find us."

"What? How?"

Without another word I got up to my feet, ignoring Sam who repeatedly called my name in a loud whisper. Quiet as I could be, I ran over to my backpack before picking it up. Because of how much panic I felt at the thought of Swindle or the other Decepticon coming in, my fingers fumbled with the zipper for a few seconds before I was finally able to open it.

"Come on, come on, come on—" I mumbled, my hand searching inside for the firearm before it hit cold metal. "Yes!" A victorious smile lifted on my face just as I pulled it out.

"What the hell is that?" Sam asked, now hesitantly walking over to me. "You carry weapons with you, Bella?" He squeaked just as I looked it over.

"It's not necessarily a weapon, it's a flare gun." I said matter-of-factly as I made sure it was ready to fire.

"Where did you get it from?"

"I'll answer that at a better time, right now we need to focus on getting outside and firing this thing–" I handed him my backpack. "Zip that up for me would ya?"

"Are we seriously doing this?" He asked doing as I told him before handing me back my backpack.

"Unless you like being held hostage by Decepticons then yeah–we _are_ doing this," I affirmed, putting my backpack on securely. "Come on. Grab your stuff, Witwicky."

Sam immediately grabbed his own backpack, "You positive you _know_ how to fire that thing?"

"Positive, now come on. We have to be quick." We both looked over at the large hallway of the building. Before I could hurry over to the exit, Sam grabbed my arm and pulled me to the wall with him. "Hey! What are you-"

"Sh." He hushed me, releasing my arm but keeping his hand out in front of me. The distant sound of the Decepticons talking caught my ears and I got quiet. ". . Ok, let's go." When we were both sure the coast was clear, we bolted towards the exit. Once we reached it, Sam pushed the doors open.

The cold air hit my cheeks after we exited, almost making me flinch. We had been held by the waste disposal that was built far from the city. From what I guessed, me and Sam were there for hours–it was already dark out.

'Forget about that,' I shook my head, readying the weapon as me and Sam came to a stop. 'Focus on getting help.'

"You got it, Bella?"

"Yeah," I raised the weapon up, pointer finger resting on the trigger. "I just need to-" As soon as I pressed down on it, the flare went flying into the air shortly after; the ear popping sound startling me in the process.

"Woah. ." Sam gaped; he stepped beside me. "You did it. Do you think they'll see it?"

"How can they _not_ notice a bright red flare?" I looked at him, a small smile twitching on my lips.

"Well–"

Almost in sync, we both jumped and turned around at the sound of a wall being smashed through. Swindle and the Decepticon with him emerged from the wreckage.

"Where are those humans?" Swindle growled, looking from side to the side before his optics landed on the two of us. "There you are! Didn't I tell you to stay put Isabella?"

". . Run."

Before I could even say anything, Sam grabbed my hand and we continued our running to escape. The ground rumbled underneath us, signifying the two were running right behind the two of us. Heavy breaths escaped my lips, and just as I looked back I noticed they were gaining up on us.

"Shit–" Turning to Sam, I tossed him the flare gun. "Here!"

"W-What? Why are you–" Sam looked at me puzzled before I yanked my hand out of his grasp. With all my might, I shoved him to the side. "Bella, wait!"

Swindle wasn't mainly after Sam, this was about revenge–for what _I_ did.

"Get out of here, Sam! You can get the Autobots-!" As hard as I tried sprinting the route me and Sam had been using, I was snatched up. A short yell of surprise left my lips before I began squirming in the lung crushing grip of the Decepticon.

"No! NO!" Sam shouted; as I had planned, he was safely standing at the sidelines. "Let her go!"

"Or _what_? What are you going to do?" Swindle waved me around like a rag doll in the hold of a six year old. "You can't do anything to hurt me."

"Dammit Sam, run!" I snapped, my hands clawing at the metal that was wrapped around my body.

"No, I'm not leaving you!" Sam suddenly raised the flare gun in the direction of Swindle. "You let her go now!"

There was more than one flare in that fire arm; I completely forgot! If he was aiming for Swindle then the possibility of cracking his optic so he wouldn't be able to see had a high chance!

My eyes went from Sam to the Decepticon that had been accompanying Swindle creeping up from behind. He was completely unaware!

"Sam, behind you!"

"Huh?" Sam turned around, his aim now towards the Decepticon. "Shit!" Almost by accident, he fired the flare gun and startled himself in the process.

"Agh! He hit me!" The Decepticon took a few steps back. "That little slagger nearly hit my-" He was cut off as something hit him directly in his chest.

I cowered, my hands firmly grasping onto the cold metal of Swindle's hand. Sam jumped to the side as the Decepticon fell back and hit the ground with a thud. Swindle spoke in tongue, and as soon as he turned around to see the source, we both went tumbling. My eyes shut close as I felt the world around me spin; I most definitely did _not_ want to open my eyes. The sound of gunfire rose in the air, as well as shouts from what I could assume was NEST soldiers that just arrived.

"Get off of me!"

The grip Swindle had on me was loosened, letting me slip and fall down onto the ground with a small thud. My eyes opened as I scrambled up to my feet, panicked puffs leaving my lips as I stepped back. My heart pounded at the sight of who was brawling with Swindle.

". . Sides." I breathed out.

"We got a civilian!"

"Cover fire!"

"I've had enough of you interfering, Autoscum!" Swindle snapped, getting up and grabbing Sideswipe before harshly throwing him to the side.

"SIDES!" My eyes widened as the Autobot landed a few feet away.

The Autobot recovered immediately, getting back up before pulling out his weapon and firing. Swindle responded by firing back; the two began dodging the bullets going back and forth between them. That was when a few NEST soldiers joined in on the firing while others made sure the other Decepticon was finished for.

"What are you doing just standing there, Bella? Run!" Sideswipe bellowed.

"What is it with you Autobots huh?!" I nearly fell on myself as Swindle's focus went from Sideswipe to me as he stalked forward. "This human has it coming! You can afford one loss of a pitiful life!" Before he could grab me, he was shot back.

I looked behind me to see Optimus who walked forward with a weapon in his hands. "Get behind me, Isabella." He ordered in a low rumble.

I did as told, swiftly stepping behind the commander as he got closer to Swindle who was struggling to recover from the blast.

"Ah, Optimus Prime, I didn't think I'd have the pleasure of seeing you in person."

"You won't be seeing him for too long, Decepticon." From behind, Ironhide stepped next to Optimus. "Your time is up."

"This isn't over, Autobots. _This_ is just the beginning-" Swindle was cut off as he was fired in the chest, his golden optic soon faded into gray.

"Are you alright, Sideswipe?" Optimus asked as he approached.

"Yeah-" Sideswipe nodded in response, looking at his comrade and superior. "Could be better."

"Well, that certainly didn't take long–" Ironhide grunted. "And here I thought Swindle would put up a fight."

I stepped forward hesitantly, watching Sideswipe as he got down on a knee.  
". . Are you really ok?"

"I'm fine, kid. The real question is are _you_ ok?" He lifted a finger, pointing in my direction before I noticed where he was pointing. "You got a nasty bruise there."

"It's nothing." I assured.

"How did you receive such a injury?" The Prime asked.

"I–" Before I could answer, I noticed Optimus had his hand offered for me to get on to. I climbed on, sitting down as he lifted me up. "Swindle's holoform I think. ."

"He _punched_ you?" Ironhide looked at me, almost flabbergasted at hearing that. "Slaggin' cons."

"Hmph, well then he definitely _got_ what he deserved." Sideswipe muttered.

I glanced down to see Lennox and Epps looking back up, "Looks like the flare worked."

"We're just lucky we came in the knick of time before you or Sam were hurt." Lennox said.

"You doin' alright?" Epps asked.

"I feel ok I guess." That was when I noticed the absence of the person I had been hanging out with before getting kidnapped shortly afterwards. "Do you know where Sam is?"

"Bee managed to snag Sam and take him out of here to safety."

That must have been why I didn't see Bee in the battle. I did have the feeling he was in the area right after the flare was fired. Well at least Sam got to safety.

I sighed softly, "That's a relief."

"You've had a long day, kid." Lennox spoke up, worry in his gaze. "Let's get you out of here."

* * *

 ** _October 26th, 2007_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _8:40 P.M_**  
 ** _Sainte/Davis Residence_**

 _After that ordeal came to an end, I was obviously taken home. As I was being driven home with the Autobots and NEST trailing behind, I was told the Autobots would be taken back to base since the job was finished. Since no other Decepticons were found–other than the ones Ironhide discovered–there was no reason for them to continue roaming around. Optimus apparently came back on short notice to chase down a Decepticon that was in a town nearby, but returned to the city after getting the report of me and Sam's disappearance. My parents had apparently called the police when I didn't show up and Sam's went to Bee; they had been searching for us for hours but found no lead until the flare was fired._

Once we reached my home, I stepped out from Sideswipe's vehicular form. The lights to my home were still on which told me my parents were definitely still awake.

"Bella!" Hearing Bee's voice made me turn around to see his holoform running over.

"Bee-" I was cut off when he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. ." He said hoarsely, bringing me in as close as he could. "I-I couldn't keep my promise I-"

" _Bee_." I pulled away from him, putting my hands on both his shoulders. "You don't have to apologize. You kept your promise."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "But. . You and Sam-"

"Maybe we were, but we're not dead." A small smile twitched up my lips. "We're safe."

". . My promise hasn't been kept." Bee stated, taking both my hands from my shoulders before holding them. "Not yet. There are still many Decepticons out there, which leaves many threats."

". . Bee."

"As I have promised, I _will_ keep you safe, Bella. And this time _no one_ will take you away."

". . Thanks Bee."

"The Decepticons probably know you're identity now," Sam added, coming forward and standing next to his guardian. "You could be considered a target for knowing me like Mikaela."

My smile shifted into a sad one before I took in a deep breath, "I think I can handle that. . At least for now. I'm just glad you're ok, Sam."

"I'm glad you're ok too, Bella." Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "When Bee drove off without a second thought I was worried about you. . Sorry our hangout session didn't exactly go as planned."

"It's fine, I'm sure you can make up for it with that other hangout we talked about."

"That. . Sounds like a good way of making it up to you." Sam nodded. "Let's try _not_ talking about this with Mikaela."

"Noted." I couldn't help but snicker.

"So," Bee interrupted. "I heard that Decepticon punched you."

I hesitated before responding, ". . Yeah, he got me pretty good."

Bee's eyes narrowed, "I swear. . If I had stayed longer I would have taken great pleasure in offlining that slagger." He seethed, anger in his blue eyes.

"Calm down, Bee." Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "That Decepticon got what was coming for him. Right, Bella?"

"Yup." I affirmed with a short nod. "Optimus offlined him."

"Probably not brutally like that Decepticon deserved. ." Bee muttered.

"Bee." I blinked, a little startled with how dark he sounded.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I just. . I can't get over the fact he hit you so harshly."

"Well it'll heal up in no time." I spoke assuringly, watching as he released my hands. "Don't worry about it."

"It looks pretty bad." Bee said quietly, raising a hand and hesitantly brushing his fingers against the bruise.

I flinched at the feeling of pain that rushed to the mark, "It hurts just as badly as it looks."

"S-Sorry." The blonde apologized, pulling away immediately.

"No, it's ok. I think I just need to get an ice pack for it."

"Isabella Genesis Sainte!" My step-father's voice boomed from the house.

The three of us turned with wide eyes to see my mother and step-father standing at the door way. That was definitely startling for the three of us. Of course, I should have expected them to come out sooner or later. My mother notably had her pink robe on as she was in her pajamas as my step-father stood beside her with his own on.

"Oh," My mother suddenly began sobbing, reaching for me as she ran over. "My baby!"

Bee took a step back with Sam as my mother wrapped me up in her arms. "M-Mom!"

"You had me so worried, Bella." Her fingers ran through my hair before she pulled away, looking me over. "A-And you have a bruise!? What happened?!" She brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"It's a long story."

"It can wait for inside." Connor spoke, having strode over. His eyes met mine before he frowned. "I'm just glad you're back home. You had your mother and I worried."

 _I'll admit, back then I was able to take in that kidnapping pretty easily. That was only because nothing bad really did happen to me besides getting that bruise from that Decepticon. I was blessed to even get out of there, most humans who got in their clutches didn't make it out alive. Even if I wasn't tortured, I can't say it didn't leave a mark on my memory. ._

* * *

 ** _October 26th, 2007_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Normal_**  
 ** _8:4_** ** _5_** ** _P.M_**  
 ** _?_**

Somewhere unknown, a Decepticon stepped forward. "Starscream, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but. . Swindle and the Decepticon left with him lost the boy."

The temporary commander of the Decepticons, Starscream had his back turned to the Decepticon scout before he slowly turned around.

"A-As well as his spark; the Autobots offlined him and were able to rescue both he–" The Decepticon staggered back when Starscream came stomping over. "H-He and the girl."

Starscream angrily grabbed the Decepticon by his throat, yanking him forward. "Do you speak of the boy's mate?" He hissed.

"No, it is the girl that managed to crack Swindle's optic."

Starscream's optics narrowed; the grip on the Decepticon's throat tightened, "And who exactly _is_ this _girl_?!" He snapped.

* * *

After having gotten the news, and harming the scout, Starscream put a digit to his audio servers. "Starscream to Soundwave; do you function?" He asked, opening the channel to the comm link.

"Soundwave responding. What is it, Starscream?"

"I am unpleased to report the loss of Swindle, but I need you to do me a favor–a _research_ favor."

"What would I be searching from the human's database?"

"Find out what you can about this _girl_ we've heard so much about the past few days. The scout that witnessed Swindle's demise will send in an image."

It was only after a few minutes of processing that Soundwave chuckled darkly, "Oh, I _know_ this girl." A few images were sent to Starscream which showed the girl's profile. "It's nice to see a familiar face. . Especially Isabella's."

* * *

 **TENTH CHAPTER. YES.**  
 ** _Finally_** **I have this posted! I'll admit, this wasn't the best chapter I've written since I got a** ** _little_** **lazy.**  
 **Apologies ^^'**  
 **I did have a little bit of writer's block. . And when it comes to fight scenes I like to keep it brief (but I won't be able to do** ** _that_** **for long since we'll be slowly transitioning into the** ** _TF2_** **arc; yay!)**  
 **I promise the next chapter won't be so sloppy.**  
 **Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting and even following.**  
 **It means a lot that you enjoy this series as it continues.**  
 **Since I'm curious on the opinion of others, I want to know what you guys think about the upcoming TF5**  
 **In my opinion, I'm really** ** _really_** **excited to see a female protagonist! I'm both proud and embarrassed to admit I've been keeping up with the updates ^/^**  
 **But anyways, if you have any thoughts please feel free to share them cx**


	11. Bruise

bro͞oz/  
noun  
1.  
an injury appearing as an area of discolored skin on the body, caused by a blow or impact rupturing underlying blood vessels.

* * *

 ** _October 27th, 2007_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _10:25 A.M_**  
 ** _Sainte/Davis Residence_**

"Hold still, dear."

"Ow! Mom!"

My mother muttered under her breath in Spanish rather quickly, making it hard to understand her as she then turned me around and away from the bathroom mirror.

"Mom." I repeated, and when she continued talking under her breath I rolled my eyes. "Mom!"

She sighed heavily, stopping her hands which pressed the white cloth against my cheek. " _What_ Bella? Can't you see I'm trying to bandage your bruise? Your makeup can't exactly cover this up."

"Well, except that one chipped tooth I got, my lips covers it."

When my mother gave me _that_ particular look, I smiled awkwardly before she shook her head. "Honestly Bella, how on Earth did you get yourself involved with such violence? Is there someone who hates you enough to hurt you?"

" _Mom_." I tried not to smile at her worry.

"What? I'm only asking. You weren't even specific with details on what exactly happened. I had to ask your two boy friends to get _some_ information."

"Mom!" I snickered.

"What? Oh forget it! Hold still so I can put this bandage on your cheek. Thursday we'll be visiting the dentist so we can fix that tooth of yours."

 _Where do I begin with this day? Well, let's just start with what exactly happened last night so you can understand. After my mother bawled in my arms, thanking God I was back home safe and sound she got a small explanation from Sam and Bee who stood by. Connor led us back inside afterwards; let's just say Sam and Bee were seen as my saviors while I was looked over by my mother and step-father. They found not only a bruise but a chipped tooth; they weren't very happy. I was lectured because of how long I was gone and told to be more careful._

"There." My mother turned me around so I could look into the bathroom mirror. "Keep this bandage on until that bruise goes away."

"Mom is this _really_ necessary?" I questioned.

My mother tsked, " _Of course_ it's necessary!" She rested her hands on both my shoulders, looking at me from behind the mirror. "Oh. . I hope that bruise goes away soon, mi hija."

"It will, mom." I assured, meeting her with gaze with an assuring smile. "With time you won't even remember what this mark looked like."

"I sure hope so." My mother sighed before pressing a kiss to my cheek. "Have fun with that Sam boy, but don't have _too_ much fun."

"You can trust him, mom." I watched her leave the bathroom. "Sam's a good guy, plus he's dating Mikaela."

My mother stopped by the doorway, seeming to think over her words before she spoke.  
"She has a. . Strange new taste in boys."

"Tell me about it." My eyes rolled to the side. "But at least it's not guys like Trent."

"Hm. . I suppose that _is_ a good new change." My mother said with a light shrug before walking away and down the hall.

 _If you're wondering, my mom is only ok with me visiting Sam because he told her Mikaela would be there–_ _and_ _we'd be under his parent's supervision. Connor was reluctant, but he eventually allowed it._

I checked myself out, occasionally running my fingers through my wavy black hair and making it bounce afterwards. I pursed my lips in dissatisfaction at the sight of my face. At least 30% of my cheek was covered because of the bruise.

"Bella, you're ride is here!"

"Coming!" I bolted out of the bathroom, going down the hall before going down the stairs and over to the front door where my mother had the door opened.

"Bella, your friend is–Oh!" She staggered to the side as I zoomed over.

The familiar blonde stood in front of the doorway, a smile raising on his face as I appeared. "Hey, Bella."

"Hey, Bee." I smiled back before I remembered I had one more thing left to put on. "Give me a second to put my shoes on, then we can get outta here." I could hear my mother tsk as I grabbed my sneakers.

"She's almost too excited about this. Teenagers these days."

I rolled my eyes, tying my sneakers firmly so they wouldn't loosen up. Agh, I had this issue frequently when I was little–it sucked. The distant memory of my father showing me how to tie my shoes came to mind. Good times, good times. I got back up to my feet, brushing off my dark jeans before grabbing my jacket.

"I think it's actually adorable."

"What?" Both me and my mother looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"Um–" His blue eyes went from me to my mother, his warm smile shifting into a nervous one. "I-I mean in a friend way, of course!"

As my mother gave him the eye I snickered before stepping out of my home, putting my jacket on. " _Mmhm_. Let's hope we keep it as friends–"

"O-Of course, ma'am."

"Otherwise I _will_ send my husband after you."

"Mom seriously?"

"I do not appreciate _any_ boys laying eyes on _my_ Isabella." My mother shook her head while turning around. "Boys these days, no respect for women at all." She muttered, closing the door in front of us.

". . Well, you're mother is certainly interesting,"

"Mmhm."

"I'm going to guess she's strict with you and dating boys."

"She acts like she is, but really no ones got any reigns on this girl." I stated, crossing my arms.

Bee looked at me with amusement, rolling his eyes afterwards. "Someone should change that." He turned around, walking over to the awaiting camaro.

"What?" I followed right behind him. "It's not like I'm interested in anyone anyways."

"Who knows?" He walked around the hood of the camaro and made his way to the driver's side. "Maybe that'll change."

I scoffed heartily, "Ha! As if." I got into the passenger's side. "Most guys in this area are either a complete douche or just not my type."

"One day, Bella." Bee said as he started up the car. "One day."

"Alright we'll see about that, Bee. We'll see."

* * *

 ** _October 27th, 2007_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _10:40 A.M_**  
 ** _Witwicky Residence_**

"Here we are." Bee opened the front door with ease, letting me step in first before he did.

"Was that _already_ unlocked?"

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Witwicky knew I'd be picking you up." He answered just as he closed the door behind us.

"Bee?" Sam's voice called from a different part of the house.

"I'll be right back." Bee patted my shoulder before walking away and towards the source of Sam's voice.

"Ok. ." I looked around, taking one step forward. The sound of dogs barking startled me before I saw a tan chihuahua waddle in with a black and white French bulldog. "Aw," I smiled, feeling like a child as I crouched down. "I didn't know Sam had dogs."

The two dogs approached me, their barks quieting down as their tails began wagging. They were definitely friendly. They didn't take a step back when I reached out to pet them, they allowed me to.

"Oh!" The voice of an older woman made me perk up to see a short ginger haired woman. "You must be Isabella."

"O-Oh," I immediately got up to my feet, clearing my throat as I saw a man step beside her. "Um yes, that would be me." I nodded.

"I see you already met Mojo and Frankie." The man said.

"Oh, is that their names?" Oh geez I felt so awkward.

"Mom? Dad?" Sam popped into the scene, stopping once he saw me. "Bella—"

"Hey." I raised a hand with a small smile that screamed 'help-me'.

"Oh—uh–mom, dad," Sam quickly slid over to my side. He got the message. "This is Bella. Y'know the one Mikaela and I have been talking about?"

His mother laughed warmly, "Well, it is certainly a pleasure to meet the mystery girl." She offered her hand for me. "I'm Judy, Sam's mother."

"It's nice to meet you as well." I shook her hand, smiling before she released mine.

"I'm Ron." His father said with a light smile, shaking my hand just as Judy giggled.

"It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Gosh, you are _just_ beautiful aren't you?"

"Aw, thank you." I smiled shyly, my cheeks flushed red as I was flattered with her compliment.

"Bumblebee did say you were a stunning gal." Judy added with a nod.

I released Ron's hand, my eyes shuttering open and close rapidly. That definitely took me by surprise. "H-He said what?"

" _Mom_ ," Sam coughed loudly, pushing me behind him. When I crossed my arms and gave him a questioning look, he turned to look at me while scratching his head. "H-He said that a while back when he first saw you-"

"No," Judy corrected. "He said that just two days ago."

"Mom!"

"Judy!"

"What? I'm just stating the facts." Judy huffed in annoyance. "It's not my fault Sammy's alien is eyeing her." She began walking towards the part of the house I could assume Sam was as well as Bee. "I mean I think it's cute. He's got a little crush on her–but maybe its puppy dog love?" She continued rambling until her voice faded out.

"Geez, I am so sorry about that." Ron looked at me.

"It's cool, um—" I glanced at Sam before looking at his father. "There's no need to apologize. I guess I'm the talk of the house, huh?"

"For the last few days, yeah." Sam mumbled.

"Figured as much. ."

"Is the bandage supposed to cover up the bruise?"

"Yup."

"Geez. . That sucks."

"Tell me about it."

"Alright kids, stop mumbling and take this conversation outside," Ron gestured over to his left–my right. "Mikaela's out there isn't she?"

"Oh yeah, she is." Sam patted my shoulder. "Come on." With that, he guided me through his home and out back.

The sight of my childhood friend talking with Bee's holoform caught my eye, happiness brewing in my heart before worry replaced it. What if Sam didn't tell her about the injury? What would I say if she started freaking out and demanding an explanation?

'Shit shit shit shit shit-'

"Bella's here." Sam announced.

Mikaela and Bee seemed to put their conversation on pause as she turned around to look at me. "Bella!" She smiled.

"Hey, Mick." I smiled back, walking over to her with Sam right behind me.

"I heard about that bruise you got from Sam," She frowned. "It's awful. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded to reassure her.

"I swear when I find the asshole who did that to you he'll be crying for his mother."

I glanced at Sam who seemed to catch my drift as he nodded. "Oh that's not necessary." I smiled nervously, waving off my friend's idea of revenge.

"It is _very_ necessary. No one punches my Bella and gets away with it that easily."

"Mikaela–" I laughed.

"Now if Sam gives me the identity of the person I won't have to work so hard to find them."

"Its _fine_ , Mikaela _._ " I took her hands in mine, giving them a squeeze. "Some guy friends of mine kinda already took care of it." I said as an excuse.

"Seriously? I hope it was a good whooping."

"Oh I was told it was." I actually witnessed it! It did _not_ last very long.

"Hm, well at least you're ok. That's what matters." Her thumb stroke the back of my hand as a sign of relief before she released both of my palms. "Now that you're here we can get started with this little hang out session."

At least Sam already covered the issue with my bruise. Though I can't lie–I'm surprised she believed him. Mikaela was a tough one to convince when it came to worrying matters.

I grinned, "Let's."

* * *

 ** _October 27th, 2007_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _3:15 P.M_**  
 ** _Witwicky Residence_**

 _I have to admit I never thought hanging out with Sam could be as enjoyable as it was then. Maybe it was just because Mikaela and Bee were there accompanying us that made it. . Fun. Sam shockingly came prepared for this; drinks, snacks, and foldable chairs to sit in a little circle outside. Very nice._

"No way! _That's_ how you encountered Sam? On his mother's bike?" I burst into a fit of laughter, trying not to choke on my coke as I held my plastic cup. "Oh my god!"

"I was hanging with the girls and he happened to just _flip_ by." Mikaela said with amusement.

"I see what you did there." Bee chuckled, the two exchanging glances before they fist bumped. "Nice one."

"Hey, _that_ was painful!" Sam said in his defense. "You try being chased by an assumed possessed car!"

"I thought you said it was stolen." Mikaela raised a brow.

"That too!"

When I finally regained my composure, I made sure I swallowed my soda without it going down the wrong pipe. I let out a sigh of content. "How nice. Then after that you found a police car which was revealed to be a Decepticon and then a car chase took place."

" _Then_ a giant metal death match between him and Bee." Mikaela added.

"Sounds like _a lot_ happened in one day."

"No kidding," Sam looked at me. "First that, then meeting the rest of the Autobots, then trying to hide them–" He huffed. "Oy vey."

"We tradin' stories in this little circle?"

"Jesus!" I nearly shot out of my seat at the voice, turning around to see Sideswipe's holoform standing behind me. "Sides? What are _you_ doing here?"

"This _is_ kinda our last day being in the area."

"There was nothing else to do really." Ironhide said, taking a step beside him.

"Well where's Optimus then?" I raised a brow as they grabbed two foldable chairs for themselves. "Wouldn't he want to enjoy some time off?"

"He's not really into that sort of stuff," Sideswipe answered with a shrug. "Prime's don't party."

"Oh. ."

"He's also keeping an eye out since he is worried with the thought Decepticons are nearby. He doesn't want a replay of the events that happened last night."

"I see." I nodded.

"Ratchet is accompanying him, as well as the remaining NEST soldiers." Ironhide stated.

"But enough about that," Sideswipe looked at our group. "I think we should make this more interesting with our own stories–ones that took place on Cybertron. It's the least we could do since we did crash your party."

"Cybertron?" Sam seemed baffled.

"No way." Mikaela gaped. "You mean your home world?"

"Yup."

"Well. . You've obviously caught our interest." I got up, moving my seat to sit besides Bee and give Sideswipe and Ironhide enough space to sit. "Do tell."

* * *

 ** _October 27th, 2007_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _6:05 P.M_**  
 ** _Witwicky Residence_**

 _I tell you–when Sideswipe and Ironhide came in, the_ _whole_ _hangout got even more interesting. With stories of Cybertron regarding war or peaceful times, I think us three teenagers were like little kids around a campfire; totally absorbed. Eventually it got dark, but Sam's parents came out and created us an actual campfire for us–it was pretty small though. Cozy blankets were handed out. Of course Sam's mother was surprised at how our party increased in numbers, but once she found out it was the Autobots she only warned them to not transform and step on her flowers. Funny._

"I'm surprised you three aren't bored with all these stories." Sideswipe said, leaning back in his chair.

"You make them sound pretty interesting," Sam admitted. "And you actually seem happy talking about them."

"It brings back the good memories of Cybertron and not the bad ones." Ironhide looked at the three of us.

"You guys don't feel nostalgic at all?" Mikaela asked, her eyes going from the fire to the holoforms.

"Of course we do. ." Bee frowned, his gaze soon lowering. "It was our home."

I felt sympathy towards the Autobot. His voice was practically dripping with homesickness. From what I was told, Bumblebee and the others came here only a month ago.

Before I could say something comforting, my nose began tingling. "Ah. . Ah–Achoo!" I sneezed, nearly startling myself before I then sniffled.

"Catchin' a cold already, kid?" Sideswipe raised a brow.

"Maybe we should go inside-" Mikaela suggested.

"N-No, no," I shifted the blanket around me to cover my upper body entirely. "It's fine. . Let's head inside when the fire burns out."

"Hm, I can tell that won't be too long." Ironhide grunted.

He was right, the fire was being whipped by the fall wind blowing in the air. It would only take a matter of minutes until smoking wood chunks would be the only thing left.

I shuddered as I breathed out, clutching the blanket from inside to be tightly wrapped around my body.

"Bella," Bee called.

"Yeah?" I looked over at him.

"Come here." He raised his arm as a way of letting me slide in. "I can probably keep you more warm than that blanket can."

"Y. . You don't have to-"

"I insist. My holoform is able to provide warmth."

I staid quiet, looking at Bee before sighing, "Alright, fine." I mumbled, giving in to the offer. Scooting a bit closer to Bee, I leaned on his shoulder as he then brought me in close from the side.

"Better?"

"Much, actually. Thank you, Bee." It was surprising; the amount of heat radiating from his holoform was so. . Cozy!

"It's no problem. Just. . Try to stay warm."

A yawn escaped my lips, "I'll. . Try." God I felt so sleepy—and at the _wrong_ time. The night was very young at the moment!

"Why don't you tell a story, Bee?" Sam spoke up. "It seems like you haven't chimed in on it."

"There's not much to tell." Bee laughed for a short moment. "Most of my life I've just been. . Fighting. Standing by the Autobots and trying to protect Cybertron from the Decepticon's clutches."

"What was that like?" Mikaela asked.

"Hm?"

"Being in that war on your home world–What was it like?"

"Well. . It felt like eternity," Bee paused. "It was like the only sounds I ever expected to hear each day was gunfire and the mixed shouts of Autobots and Decepticons. I wanted it all to end just as badly as Optimus, but I knew this war wouldn't have a conclusion."

"The Decepticons are persistent ones, I'll give them that." Ironhide muttered.

"It'll be over soon though. . Right, Bee?" Sam looked at his guardian with hopeful eyes.

I glanced up at Bee to see him staring at Sam before a smile raised on his face. ". . Right." He nodded.

My eyes drifted downwards and towards the fire. Slowly, my vision went black.

"With the advantage of the human alliance, those Decepticons can kiss their victory goodbye."

* * *

 ** _October 27th, 2007_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _—_**  
 ** _6:10 P.M_**  
 ** _Witwicky Residence_**

"Aaand she's out cold." Sideswipe spoke up.

"What?" Bee blinked surprised. He looked down at the girl to see she was indeed asleep. "Again?"

"You must _really_ be comfty, Bee." Mikaela chuckled.

"The holoform's warmth can be compared to that of a heater." Ironhide said.

"A nice one?" Sam tilted his head.

"A _very_ nice one." Sideswipe confirmed with enthusiasm and a raise of his eyebrows. "So, is someone going to take Bella home?"

"I'm going to have to," Bumblebee sighed softly. "But I don't mind."

"Of course _you_ don't."

". . What's _that_ suppose to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." Sideswipe shook his head. "Drop sleeping beauty off at her home."

Bee narrowed his eyes towards his comrade before carefully moving Bella off of him. Once he got up to his feet, he scooped the girl off her seat with ease. "I'll be back." He mumbled.

"Careful, Bee." Mikaela worriedly watched as he stepped away from the group circle.

"I got her, I got her." Bumblebee assured before finally disappearing from the back as he walked around to the front.

". . He is _so_ into her." Sideswipe spoke up.

"I know," Mikaela sighed, looking down at her lap as she rested her hands on them. "I know. ."

"Wait–" Sam looked at the others surrounding him. "Am I missing something here?"

* * *

 **Well this chapter was pretty simple and short–apologies on how brief it was ^^"**  
 **Have some Bee and Bella fluff towards the end~ *throws pillow stuffing* :p**  
 **It's been a while since I've written a little bit of that**  
 **I hope you guys enjoyed~**


	12. Think

think  
THiNGk/  
verb  
direct one's mind toward someone or something; use one's mind actively to form connected ideas.

* * *

 ** _October 28th, 2007_**  
 ** _Sunday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _9:08 A.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

 _After passing out on Bee, he took me back home. I roused from my slumber in the middle of the night completely lost. . And tired. Even so, I pulled myself up to go to the kitchen and get a snack for my grumbling stomach; there I was able to run into my younger step-brother. He had all the answers that would end my confusion. Unfortunately but thankfully, Adrien was the one to let Bee in and drop me off after he knocked. I was happy to say the least with hearing that; if Connor or my mother opened the door to see me passed out in his arms, they wouldn't react pleasantly. Of course, my untroubled state was quickly shattered by Adrien's non-stop questioning about the blonde. Though I honestly answered that he was just a friend, I could tell Adrien had a hard time believing it._

A lion like yawn escaped my lips as I trotted downstairs, stretching my arms upwards to the point where I heard a satisfied pop. I rubbed my eye tiredly, turning to my right to go over to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Morning sis." Adrien startlingly greeted me. He was sitting at the small circle table in the center of the kitchen, his laptop opened and powered on.

". . Morning." I mumbled with a raised brow. This was weird. Shaking it off, I went over to the fridge and got on my tippy toes to get a packet of maple and brown oatmeal from the large _Quaker Oats_ box. "Do you know where mom and Connor are?"

"Your mom practically dragged my dad to church," He responded. "You weren't awake and I had better things to do so they left."

"How long have they been gone?" The packet was in my grasp! Success! I pulled it out from the box, turning to look at him as he seemed to think about how to respond.

"Twenty minutes."

"Hm. . Twenty minutes," I put the packet down on the counter, going over to the fridge as I pulled out a gallon milk. "So they haven't been gone for too long."

"Yup. So, I've gotta ask you about last night."

"I thought we already went over this, Adrien." I put the gallon on the counter, turning and looking up at the cabinet behind me. I checked to make sure it was the right one before opening it, finally pulling out the small container of vanilla extract and cinnamon.

"I'm not an idiot. I know that guy was not _just_ a friend, Bella."

"Bee _is_ just a friend." I insisted with an exhausted sigh.

"Not with the way he was stealing glances at you when he thought I wasn't looking." Adrien chuckled. "I was worried he was going to take advantage of my sweet older step-sister as she slept in his arms."

"Oh please," I rolled my eyes, getting everything together to make the oatmeal as I turned away from him. I put a small pot on the front oven's burner, putting what was needed inside step by step. Milk, a dash of cinnamon plus vanilla extract, and the content in the oatmeal packet last. "Bee's a gentleman."

" _Sure_."

"Why are you so doubtful of him?" I turned the oven dial to medium. "You don't even know Bee."

"Call it man to man instinct," That made me scoff as he just continued on. "Once he's got you wrapped around his finger you'll see."

"Whatever you say, Adrien. Whatever you say." The possibility of Bee being a completely different bot underneath felt unbelievable.

Once again, it was quiet between us as I carefully watched my oatmeal cook. My eyes went from the digital time the oven displayed back to my breakfast. The sound of Adrien's fingers typing against his laptop's keyboard caught my ears as I just stood by the oven. Usually there was nothing to talk about, Adrien always found something to pass time.

'Five minutes is up,' I grabbed the handle of the pot, taking it off the burner and turning the dial which turned the heat off. 'Time to eat some yummy oatmeal.' Another yawn left my lips just as I put the pot on the kitchen counter.

I stood on my tippy toes, opening up another cabinet as I searched for the bowl I'd use for both cereal and oatmeal. "Where the hell is it?"

* * *

 ** _October 28th, 2007_**  
 ** _Sunday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _9:54 A.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

 _After eating my breakfast, I had immediately went to my room to get dressed. Nothing too fancy, just a little short termed venturing out sort of outfit. A light gray sweater and simple black pants. Ooo! Because of the fall weather–and how lazy I was to fix up my messy hair–I topped it all off with a black beanie that Mia gave me as a Christmas present._

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror silently for a few seconds before shrugging. "Meh." This'll do; without the usual make-up I put on, I definitely looked exhausted. Thank God I didn't have plans to hang out with anyone today.

After exiting the bathroom, I went down the stairs and past the kitchen where Adrien still hung around.

"Mom and dad are gonna be pissed when they see you're not home." Adrien said in a loud enough voice for me to hear.

"I won't be gone for too long." I grabbed my still dirty sneakers once I reached the front, putting them on and tying them up before opening the door and exiting. As soon as I was outside my home with the front door shut, I pulled out my phone and earbuds which were already plugged in before putting the two in.

The first few steps away from my home were slow, almost like a baby taking its first steps. My lips twitched out of confusion just as I entered the path of the sidewalk. My pace picked up and I unlocked my phone before choosing a song I found soothing; _Hey There Delilah_. It began playing the melody which signaled me to put my phone away as I just walked.

It was as if nothing happened last Friday; children were back to playing outside with their toys or each other in the front, giggling and laughing with each moment that passed. Cars drove by on the streets while people passed by on the sidewalk. Just looking at my surroundings brought back the memory of seeing Swindle for the first time. The fear of not being able to survive, the dread of being hunted, and the rush of pulling that trigger were all too familiar.

I raised a hand to scratch the side of my head for a second, careful not to knock off or loosen the beanie. I forced my attention elsewhere, trying to think of something other than the events that happened the past few days.

"God this is going to take a while. ." I mumbled. My destination was already in mind, but without a ride it would take some time to get there.

'Well I guess this could be considered minor exercise. I _have_ been slacking with going out for jogs lately.' I shook my head. 'Wait! That's not my fault! I shouldn't even be blaming myself! I've been tracked down and abducted by a Decepticon with a friend, discovered the Autobots and NEST, the Cybertronian war-'

"It's all over now," I raised my hands to my face, rubbing it as I took in a deep breath. "I suppose I'll just have to find a way to make up for the days I've missed."

'All this thinking is making me frazzled.'

* * *

 ** _October 28th, 2007_**  
 ** _Sunday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _10:25 A.M_**  
 ** _Abandoned Railway_**

"Finally!" After walking for so long, I arrived at the place I wanted to be at for thinking; the railway. "Nice and silent, just the way I like it." A knowing smile lifted onto my face as there was no one around like usual. Who _would_ come here anyways?

I pulled out my headphones, putting them in my pocket with my phone rather clumsily. Whistling for a few seconds, I strode over to the rusted railway. As soon as I stepped into the middle with the tracks, I turned around and sat down, making myself comfortable as I then laid back. I crossed my legs casually, looking up at the sky soon afterwards.

How on Earth did my life change so quickly? I went from a junior in high school who did her best to pass classes to a girl who's keeping the secret of extraterrestrial life.

'Let's try thinking of something other than that.' With a short intake of air, I pulled myself up and brought my legs up to my chest. 'This is Bella time.'

My eyes wandered over to my left before I noticed the messy carving inside the railing; **Mikaela and Bella = Best Friends Forever**

"Hm. ." I leaned over, running my fingers over the names. A smile curled up my legs. "Oh yeah, I remember writing this with Mikaela when we were kids–seven years old I think."

 _We've been with each other through thick and thin our entire lives. We were destined to meet after my dad went to Mikaela's father for car repairs. At first I didn't know her when we went to his repair shop, but when I went to school the next day I noticed her walking through the halls. I could remember dad telling me it was good to make friends, so I listened to his advice and became friends with her. I'd be happy to t_ _alk_ _about everything we've been through but that'd probably take forever._

"Good times, good times. ." Somehow, I wished to go back in time in that instant and be that little girl who kept her father's teddy bear nearby at all times. The same little girl who loved dresses, princesses, and the belief of having a happy ending. "We didn't have to worry about anything back then."

'Stop being so nostalgic.' I braced myself for the incoming autumn wind that harshly blew against me. 'Let's try enjoying the silence while we still can. God knows it won't last very long once we get back home.'

I lifted a finger, brushing back a bothersome strand of hair that blew in my face. Out of the blue, the cold starting to bite at the edge of my hands was replaced with familiar warmth.

"Hm?" I turned my head to the left, my eyes moving downwards as they stared at my hand. Slowly, I flexed my fingers as I tilted my head. The image of Bee's holoform came to mind; his hands on top of mine and his chest pressed against my back as we practiced softball, his arms that wrapped around me as soon as I came back home from the kidnapping.

'W-What the hell?' There was a familiar warm fuzzy feeling in my chest that made my cheeks burn. 'Why am I thinking about that? Why do I even–' I shook my head as my heart pounded. 'He's an Autobot, Bella. Completely different race from a completely different universe.'

"What's wrong with me?" I mumbled, gripping as much of my hair as I could with both hands. Of course I was careful once again to not knock off my beanie. Glancing down at my chest, I released my hair before poking where my heart would be. "Get your shit together."

* * *

 **Sorry sorry!**  
 **I was having writer's block when it came to writing this chapter. I wasn't exactly sure how to write this out, but I was sure this would be a chapter with only our protagonist.**  
 **I can actually promise the next two chapters will be better than this one. My inspiration is** ** _very_** **heavy with those ^^;**  
 **If any of you have noticed it's nearing a** ** _certain_** **holiday in our story's timeline, so you can understand why~**  
 **Thanks for reading and apologies for the delay**


	13. Shopping

shop·ping  
ˈSHäpiNG/  
noun  
the purchasing of goods from stores.

* * *

 ** _October 29th, 2007_**  
 ** _Monday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _3:27 P.M_**  
 ** _Mall_**

"Yes! Shopping!" Becca squealed as she was in the front of our group, jumping up and down with excitement. "I've been waiting for this all day!"

"With Dimitri's Halloween party coming up, we'll have the perfect costumes for the occasion." Rachel said with a light smirk.

"You're going to hit on him." Mia dead-panned. "I just know it."

Rachel gasped dramatically, putting a hand to her chest. "No, I would never. What could possibly make you think such a thing?"

"With the costume you have in mind," Mia rolled her eyes. "It's pretty obvious."

"Try not to make too much noise upstairs~" Julie snickered, sticking out her tongue.

"Very funny."

 _After having an hour to myself the day before, I wasn't surprised to get a text from my mother demanding to know where I went. I didn't do much after getting back home. Parents, what can ya do? Anywho, let me just fill you in on the details of what's happening as of now. Tomorrow Dimitri is hosting his annual Halloween party late at night. Why a day before the actual holiday you ask? Well the last time he held his party then, a bunch of obnoxious kids thought it was cool to totally trash the outside of his house. His parents weren't too happy about it, so he decided to have the party a day before to avoid any tricks with trick or treaters on Halloween. Dimitri is probably one of the most down to earth guys on the football team–to be straightforward he's not a complete douche. Because of the rising occasion, my group of friends and I are going shopping for costumes._

"Are you _sure_ about going to this party?" Mikaela asked me in a quiet whisper.

"Positive," I nodded. "You know I always go. It's probably one of the few parties I actually attend."

"If you say so."

"Are _you_ even sure about going? From what I heard Dimitri invited Trent."

"He _always_ invites Trent, it doesn't bother me." Mikaela said with a shrug.

"Alright," I let out a short yawn. "What type of costume are you thinking of buying?"

"It'll be a surprise."

"For Sam?" I raised a brow, turning my head to look at her. When I caught her blushing, I rolled my eyes. "Figures; young love."

"Hush you." She nudged me with her hip, making us both laugh afterwards.

"Come on you two, let's go!" Jordan called from the entrance of the costume store.

Everyone else was ahead and already inside. Me and Mikaela jogged over as we were already close, stopping once we reached the entrance. There were costume displays aligned on the walls, some costumes in a bag already prepped for buying on a clearance display, and others were down different rows with costume photos being modeled.

"Welcome." The girl at the cash register greeted with a smile. There didn't seem to be anyone else around, maybe they were in the back? "If you need help with anything don't hesitate to ask."

"There are _soooo_ many cute costumes!" Becca exclaimed happily as she had already been looking around. "I'm sure we can all find a costume before it gets dark."

"I already found the one I want!" Rachel announced proudly.

"Aw what? Not cool," Julie whined. "I haven't even found mine yet."

"Don't get too upset, Jules," Mia patted her back. "I haven't found mine yet and I'm pretty sure Jordan hasn't either."

"Knowing her it probably won't take long," Julie grumbled. "She always manages to find the cute costumes before the rest of us."

"They have changing rooms right?" Mikaela looked at me.

I nodded, "Yeah, they do."

"Good," She took in a short deep breath before exhaling. "I'm going to go look for a costume."

"Alright." I watched Mikaela start walking around the store, examining every costume for girls she happened to pass by. Watching all my friends look for costumes brought the question to mind–what the heck was I going to wear? I didn't even think of a costume I'd be interested in wearing. "What should I wear. .?" I began strolling around the store, looking for any costumes that happened to catch my interest.

"Bella~!" I nearly squeaked as I felt familiar weight jump onto my back. It was Jordan.

"Jesus Jordan!" I put a hand to my chest as she got off of my back. I turned to look at her as I caught my breath. "You could have given me a heart attack."

"Oh don't be so dramatic." Jordan waved me off as I rolled my eyes. "I couldn't help but notice you having trouble with costume hunting."

Crap. "Um-"

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to help."

"No, I uh. . I'm just fine."

"Oh come on, Bella." Jordan hooked her arm in mine. "I already found my costume and we literally just entered. Tell me that does not spell out 'Jordan would be amazing help'."

"It doesn't."

"Don't be a bum," She pulled me along as I groaned in response. "I know the perfect costume for you."

"Oh boy." I reluctantly allowed her to lead, watching as we went over to the clearance display. "Really?"

"Don't get disappointed so quickly. Ah, there it is." Jordan unhooked her arm from mine, walking ahead of me as she picked up one costume bag. She happily walked back over to me, holding it out to me. "Here."

I raised a questioning brow, hesitantly taking it from her hand. "Thanks. ." As soon as I had the chance to look at it, my eyes felt like bugging out of my sockets at the costume that was modeled. "Oh hell-"

"Yes!" Jordan began pushing me over to the changing rooms. "It's perfect!"

"Did you find a costume, Bells?" Mia asked, approaching us with a bag in hand. From what I could see it held her costume.

"N-Not yet-"

"No no no, she found it." Jordan said with that certain tone; it was almost like a wicked woman pleased with everything that was going according to her plans. "Go on Bella, try it on."

"Are you pressuring her to try it on?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I wouldn't have gave it to Bella without picturing her in it. She would look good in it. Trust me on this one Mia; you _know_ how great I am with choice of clothing."

When I looked at my other friend, I noticed she seemed to be thinking. God, that wasn't good. "Please don't take her side, Mia. You know how much I hate-"

"Alright, Bella. Let's go."

"Wait!" With both girls guiding me over to the changing room, I knew it would be impossible to get away. A defeated sigh escaped my lips once they both stopped pushing me. I was already standing in front of the changing room. ". . Fine," I glanced back at them. "I'll try it on, but that doesn't mean I'm buying it."

"Mmhm." Mia reached over, opening the changing room door for me.

"Just go in and try it~"

I rolled my eyes before finally entering the changing room. I looked over the costume bag for a few seconds before putting it to the side as I began taking off the clothing I was currently wearing.

* * *

 ** _October 29th, 2007_**  
 ** _Monday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _3:51 P.M_**  
 ** _Mall_**

"Bella?" Mikaela called from outside the dressing room.

"Come on," Julie knocked on the door. "You've been in there for at least five minutes."

"We all got our costumes ready for tomorrow dude." Mia added. "It's just you now."

"I have a feeling if I go out in this to the party I'll be freezing." I said from inside the changing room.

"I'm pretty sure _a lot_ of people will be chilly in their costumes," Jordan insisted. "That includes us."

"Come on, Bells. Let us see."

Hesitantly, I put my hand on the door handle before slowly pushing it open. When I saw all my friends gathered around, I could feel my heart pound with sheer mortification at the attention.

". . Oh my god." Becca's jaw dropped just as Julie dropped her bag.

"I-It looks weird doesn't it?"

"No, no, no, no, you look good–like _really_ really good." Jordan laughed.

"If it were possible I'd totally have a nosebleed right now." Mia said with a slow nod.

"You're not even white and you rock the color!" Rachel flinched as she was harshly nudged in the side by Julie. "Ow! It's a compliment!"

"You look gorgeous, Bella." Mikaela said with a smile.

I couldn't help but smile bashfully, my eyes wandering to the side before I finally managed to look back at my friends.

"So, I think this is a definite yes to buying."

I snapped out of my pleasant mood once I heard Jordan, "W-Wait a second, I didn't-"

"We're taking this costume!" Rachel announced.

"If Bella won't buy it I sure as hell will!" Becca shouted.

I sighed, shaking my head and face palming myself as Mikaela took the chance to slide beside me. She wrapped an arm around me which made me peak at her.

"You look great Bella. I think you should take this costume."

"I feel like it has too many accessories and shows a bit of skin-"

"But not _too_ much." Mikaela pointed out. "It only shows a little, Bells."

I shifted in my spot, ". . Do you really think it'd be best to go out in this?"

"Yes, and you know I wouldn't lie to you about these sort of things."

My lips twitched as I thought it over. Would I regret or be happy I decided to go to a Halloween party dressed up as something like this?

"Take it, take it, take it." My other friends chanted.

". . Fine," I gave in as my friends cheered. "I guess I'll go dressed as this."

"You know you're going to have to let me do your make-up when it comes to wearing this." Jordan said.

"With my help as well," Mia chimed in. "The both of us can make you look amazing in no time."

I laughed, "Sure. Now if you guys wouldn't mind I'd like to change out of this."

"Go ahead, we're going to ring it up as soon as you step out of that changing room."

"You guys don't _have_ to pay, I _do_ have my own money-"

"Just hush and get changed, Bella."

* * *

 ** _October 29th, 2007_**  
 ** _Monday_**  
 ** _Normal_**  
 ** _9:53 P.M_**  
 ** _?_**

It was silent in the night of an unknown city, that is until the body of a guard dropped onto the stone floor of a business building. He let out a strangled groan, his mouth pouring with blood before he became lifeless. His eyes were still open as he laid there amongst many other bodies. Soft humming was heard in the darkness of the building as well as the sound of heels clicking.

"That wasn't so hard," A woman stepped out into the dim light. She flipped her curly red hair, her hands noticeably covered with gloves that were stained with blood. "Then again humans aren't much of a challenge." Her phone began ringing, her attention immediately going to it as she pulled it out from her pocket. "Yes?"

"Soundwave reporting, I have interesting news for you."

"Has Dylan _finally_ decided to stop sending me to do his dirty work?" She asked in a sigh. "I grow tired of killing easy targets and stealing information he could easily obtain himself."

"You already know we have an alliance with that small group of humans–"

"One that will be temporarily, correct?"

"You already know this, do what you can to keep their trust until then. But that is beside the point–" Her phone buzzed as it received a message. "I have found an old face you might be pleased with seeing once again."

The woman pulled the phone away from her ear, putting the conversation on speaker before before opening up the message. An image of Isabella was displayed before it went to the left of the screen, basic information rapidly appeared for her to view.

A disturbing smile raised up her lips, both hands soon gripping the electronic device. "I knew it. . He _was_ lying."

"She is currently residing in the area of the boy–Samuel James Witwicky."

"Hmph, how convenient. _Why_ haven't you done anything to act with this sort of information? You already know how valuable she is to our cause."

"I'm well aware of her value, but she is _not_ our main concern as of now. We _must_ revive Megatron." Soundwave hissed, reminding the woman of the task at hand.

". . Of course." She hid her irritation with the Decepticon easily, one of her hands released her phone as she went back to holding it with one hand.

"Focus on your assigned tasks, Ruby. When the time is right you will have the chance to bring Isabella back." When silence met the Decepticon he asked. "Do you comply?"

She scowled. ". . Yes, I understand."

"Good, I will speak with you at another time." The phone call ended, leaving the woman to the silence and death surrounding her.

Ruby stared at the phone displaying the teenager, her eyes darting from one piece of information to the other before she chuckled. "Oh Bella, you've grown into such a beautiful girl–" Her green eyes shifted into an ominous red. "I can't wait to see you again."

* * *

 **Consider this early posted chapter an addition to my apologies for such a long wait. I wasn't surprised when it only took a few hours to write this up instead of days xD**  
 **The costume Bella and the other girls will be revealed next chapter w**  
 **Just thought I'd tell you since I was being so (purposefully) vague on that information.**  
 **I can promise you guys won't be disappointed cx**  
 **But woah, weird ending right?**  
 **We got a new character appearing; she** **_appears_** **to be human, with the Decepticons (just so you know), and her eyes change color.** ** _Soooo_** **much confusion right? All will be explained in later chapters I can assure you.**  
 **What I can say right now is that Ruby plays our main antagonist and** ** _will_** **be appearing in later chapters–she's** ** _very_** **important.**


	14. Princess

**Since I'm not great with the description, have a photo link so you can find out what Bella looks like and her costume:**

 **.**

 **BACK TO THE STORY!**

* * *

prin•cess  
ˈprinsəs,ˈprinˌses/  
noun  
a female member of a royal family; especially : a daughter or granddaughter of a king or queen

* * *

 _ **October 30th, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **10:52 P.M**_  
 _ **Dimitri's Home Residence**_

The day of the Halloween Party finally arrived, and it didn't take long for the informed high schoolers to prepare themselves after school. Their was a mixture of different and similar costume types as teenagers entered the large home which boomed with music.

Parked outside was Bumblebee who had been escorting Sam and Mikaela. Sam, who didn't have much time with deciding on costume, stepped out of the driver's side hesitantly. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious at his choice.

"Wow," He walked around the hood of his car, his eyes glued to the illuminated home that rumbled with both music and teenagers. "Looks like it's packed." Of course, he had been new to all this. He opened the door for his girlfriend, letting her step out.

"It's always packed," Mikaela sighed, taking a quick glance down at her outfit. "You'll get used to it." Her costume had been that of a vampire's; a dress with a red top and a long black skirt. As an accessory that complimented the costume, she wore a black choker which held a charm. For this she had tied her hair up into a bun with two parallel curly strands of hair which hung by both sides of her cheeks and put on dark red lipstick.

"Hey guys," Jordan, who was dressed as a werewolf, trotted over to the two with a large smile. "I see you've made it."

"Nice ears." Mikaela laughed.

"Thanks," Jordan bashfully rubbed the back of her neck. "Nice fangs." She complimented, noticing the two that stuck out as the girl laughed.

"I see Nat did a good job with makeup," Mikaela crossed her arms. "You really do look like a werewolf, a cute one at that."

"You think?" Jordan giggled. "Nat is pretty great with sfx make-up for Halloween." For her costume, Jordan just played it simple and dressed as a werewolf. She had on golden contacts and dark eyeshadow that brought out the color nicely. She also had a pair of fangs on her, but they weren't similar to Mikaela's. She wore what seemed to be casual clothing, but it was ripped along some edges. On the top of her head were a pair of wolf ears. "What are you dressed up as anyways, Sam?"

"H-Han Solo." He answered with a stutter.

Jordan laughed, putting a hand on her chest.  
"I _knew_ I recognized that vest from somewhere!" When Sam sighed with relief, she continued on. "Especially the blaster, not bad. There are a few others dressed up as Star Wars characters."

"Really?" Sam looked surprised.

"Uh yeah," Jordan smiled, giving him the 'are-you-serious?' look. "There are _sooo_ many different costumes inside the house. You don't got any reason to feel singled out, Sammy." She patted his shoulder, already able to tell that he had been nervous about his choice of costume.

Sam seemed to ease up, a small smile of gratefulness lifting on his face. "Thanks, Jordan."

"No problem."

Mikaela peaked from Jordan's shoulder at the party. "Sounds like everyone's already having fun."

"Yeah, the DJ is definetely killing it in there, and _not_ because he's dressed as that murderer from _Scream_."

As the two laughed at that, Bumblebee's holoform stepped out the car. He closed the door behind him, and the sound caught Jordan's attention as a knowing smile lifted on her face before she whistled.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Jordan crossed her arms, watching as the blonde approached. "Knight in shining armor, eh?"

Sam and Mikaela turned around to look at him; an opened smile appeared on Mikaela at the sight.

"Hello Jordan." Bee greeted warmly.  
With the Autobot's costume–it wasn't any regular head covered knight costume–it was one where he had a cloak which had a hood and was buttoned on the top to keep in place. It held a white and black colored theme to it, one where white was the dominant color and black was the submissive. Bumblebee wore a long sleeved white military jacket with black trim and decorated buttons as well as white pants. Underneath the jacket was a black collared shirt with cuffs and white trim. The outfit came with black boots that reached up to his ankles, white gloves, a thick black belt which encircled his waist, and a sheath on his left hip that held a fake sword.

Jordan chuckled, "Fancy seeing you again, B." She glanced at Mikaela, the two nodding towards each other for a second as a puzzled Sam watched. "Well, since we got the whole gang here let's head on inside~" She clapped her hands together.

"Where's Bella?" Mikaela asked as the four then headed inside the home.

"She's inside." Jordan sighed exasperatedly. "She wouldn't stop complaining about how cold it was outside."

"It _is_ pretty cold." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, but Bella couldn't stand outside for even a minute without shivering. . Then again her costume did leave a lot of her skin exposed." The group following Jordan through the crowd of high schoolers came to a stop once she did.

"Is she alright?" Bee asked, concerned for the girl after what Jordan said.

"You can ask her yourself." Jordan soon pointed through the crowd towards a cleared spot of the home. Despite Bee's attempt to get a look at Bella, he couldn't. "Alright guys, clear it up a little." The werewolf girl shooed the crowd just enough to create a narrow path.

Once the blonde was able to gain a visual on the girl, he could feel his spark stop. In that instant he felt like his holoform's feet were stuck in place.

"She's dressed as a princess." Jordan added casually from behind him.

"And she picked _that_ outfit?" Sam asked completely amazed.

"Well she had _some_ help from me." Jordan dragged out the word rather proudly.

Bella had on a pink one shoulder crop top which looked similar to a wrap in its texture. Surprisingly it didn't expose her stomach, but the design did show a slice of her light brown skin above her belly button. It also revealed a bit her upper chest and left her arms completely bare; just from how the top looked, it could be assumed some of her back skin was too. The white long crinkled skirt below was pulled up to cover her belly button, and adorned three golden chains which were attached together by two silver gems; it acted like a loose belt. On her left arm were three golden arm bands while on her right wrist was a golden cuff. Securely on her neck was a golden necklace and to top it all of with a headpiece.

Just by this human's appearance the Autobot felt completely paralyzed; his face was completely flushed with red. He felt at a loss of words to describe her as she stood by two friends near a punch bowl. Taking in all the strength he could, he breathed out shakily. "Sweet Primus. ."

That was when someone from outside ran in, clearly pissed. "Yo, who owns the fucking camaro, huh?! Its alarm is going off like crazy man!"

Already knowing who it was causing the commotion, Sam stepped forward and put a hand on his guardian's shoulder. "Bee?"

"Someone's gonna send the cops!"

" _Bee_."

"Y-Yes, Sam?" The blonde was snapped out of his daze by his charge's voice, his attention shifting over to him.

An amused smile appeared on Sam. "You ok, man?"

"Yes," Bee coughed, brushing himself off as if he had gotten dust on himself. The red on his face seemed to fade away as he regained his composure. "I'm fine."

Jordan giggled, "Well are you going to go talk to her or what?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You two haven't talked since that hangout session." Mikaela stepped up beside Bee, patting his back. "I know you want to talk to her."

Bee looked at both Jordan and Mikaela suspiciously, having a feeling they were up to something before shaking his head. He'd have to worry about that later. "I'll be right back. ." He mumbled, walking over to Bella.

As soon as the guardian left the group, Sam looked over at the smiling girls. "What are you guys up to exactly?"

"What ever do you mean, Sam?" Jordan tilted her head innocently.

"First Mikaela recommended a knight costume for Bee which he obviously took for the party and Bella's in a princess costume. Why do I feel like you two are planning something out?"

"Not sure if you've noticed Sam, but your friend _is_ starting to feel _something_ for Bella." Jordan responded with her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"He's been oblivious." Mikaela mumbled to Jordan before walking in front of her boyfriend. "Sam–"

"Are you _trying_ to play matchmaker?"

"Listen," She sighed.

"No, no, no, no, no. There is _no_ way Bee likes her like that. Mikaela, he's an Autobot and she's a human, I think he'd know better."

"You don't seen the way he looks at her, or how he acts which is different than the way he acted with us before she got involved with the Autobots." Mikaela intervened. "You _just_ saw how he reacted to seeing Bella."

"Well Bella _does_ looks pretty amazing–" Sam stopped himself right after he said that before continuing on. "B-But that's beside the point! Mikaela, Bee's an Autobot."

"That shouldn't strip him of his right of feeling, Sam." Mikaela wrapped an arm around him. "You may not see it now, but you will eventually."

"See what?"

"Bee's growing affection." Mikaela pointed in the direction Bee had used to walk over to her childhood friend. "Though she probably won't admit it, I can see she finds him attractive."

Sam looked as his guardian approached the three with minor hesitance, ". . I just. . I guess I don't want either of them to get hurt if something _is_ growing between them, especially Bee. He's been through enough as it is, Mikaela."

". .I can understand why you're concerned. You two _are_ best friends, but you have to trust me on this one; we can come back and check on them and you'll see what I have for the past week." Mikaela pulled away, taking his hand in hers. "Now come on, let's go and have some fun."

Sam couldn't help but laugh, letting his girlfriend pull him along. "Alright alright."

As they walked away, Mikaela gave Jordan a thumbs up. The werewolf dressed girl laughed under her breath, waving her off as they disappeared into the large crowd of teenagers. "This should be good."

* * *

 _ **October 30th, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **11:17 P.M**_  
 _ **Dimitri's Home Residence**_

"This party is great but it'd be better with some of those strobe lights." Mia, dressed as a female Jack Skellington, said before taking a sip of her punch.

"I think someone would have a seizure." Nat, wearing the costume of Santa Muerte, giggled.

"I actually agree with that." I smiled amused.

So far the Halloween party was kicking off pretty well. As it usually would be, it was packed with other high schoolers. I almost felt crammed in Dimitri's large home.

"Bella?"

The familiar voice caught my attention, making my head turn to the source. ". .Bee?" My eyebrows lifted in surprise at the sight, a smile lifting on my face. I stepped forward, trying to ignore the sound of my two friends giggling.  
He was dressed as a knight from the looks of it, and definitely not one of those classic medieval ones.

The blonde smiled, "Hey."

"We'll leave you two alone." Mia whispered before I could protest.

The sound of her heels and Nat's clicking away from behind me grew distant. I couldn't hear them talking lowly or laughing quietly anymore. It was just me and Bee now.

"I see you dressed up." I pointed out, attempting to keep our conversation going.

"Of course I did," He laughed. "It's a Halloween party isn't it? Mikaela recommended this costume for me yesterday just when I needed assistance."

Oh boy, now the pieces are starting to come together. She set this up after I got the damn costume. ". . Did she now?" I bit down on the inside of my cheek, keeping a composed smile.

"Yes. I hope it doesn't look too weird."

"No no, you look great." I assured. "A knight in shining armor look truly does suit you, and I'm not saying that because you're an Autobot."

Bumblebee chuckled, "Ah, of course. I see what you mean." As I giggled he continued. "I take it you dressed up as a princess."

"Not by first choice," My lips twitched. "It was sorta forced on me by Jordan after I tried it on. Pink isn't really my thing anymore, remember?"

"Well I personally think she choose the correct costume for you,"

"Bee-" My eyes drifted to the side, avoiding his gaze. Why was I getting so bashful all of a sudden? This wasn't the first compliment I received.

Soft cloth brushed against the back of my hand, startling me in the process. When I looked to where the touch was coming from, I saw Bee taking a hold of my hand with his gloved one. My gaze suddenly went up to him as he gazed back at me.  
"You look absolutely stunning, Isabella."

For the first time–in a very long time–I wasn't weirded out hearing my full name. When I did, I always felt a little strange; hence my habit of correcting those who said it by saying they could call me Bella. When Bee said it, I could feel my heart flutter and my entire face light up.

". . T-Thanks, ehehe." I stuttered out, laughing with a minor tremble.

'What the hell is wrong with me?'

He tilted his head, probably noticing my reaction before he released my hand. "Are you alright?"

"Um yeah, totally." I coughed, putting my hands on my hips. Regain your composure, Bella! "I'm gonna guess Sam and Mikaela are here since you are. What's Sam dressed as?"

"A character from Star Wars I believe," He seemed to think back on what Sam's costume was. "Han Solo?"

"No way." I laughed; I should have expected it from Sam, he did give of the vibe where he was into the series. "That's pretty cool, it's a pretty simple costume."

"It is. . You must be freezing in that outfit." Bee commented with an amused smile.

"Outside I am," I rolled my shoulders. "Adrien offered me his jacket to take."

"How nice of your little brother."

"I checked it before I put it on in case he put something in it."

"Find anything?"

"Surprisingly no." I recalled Adrien's confused face before he practically shoved me out the house realizing I didn't trust his jacket.

"He didn't come to the party?"

"He's not really a party type of person. . At least I hope not." I noticed he had been looking over at the dance floor. It had been given some room despite the large crowd; slow rhythmic jazz music was being played. ". . What is it?"

"Would you care to dance?"

Much to my surprise, he grabbed my hand, our eyes meeting as I looked at him.  
"I-I'm not that great with dancing." I admitted, hoping he'd take back his offer.

That didn't seem to crack him as he just smiled. "It's alright," He began guiding me through the crowd. "Just follow my lead, ok?"

He's definitely not going to let me get away. With a quiet sigh of defeat, I allowed him to take me onto the dance floor. "Alright."  
Did Bee even know how to dance? Well he probably did since he has access to the Internet.

As we reached an empty spot for the both of us to take, he turned around and pulled me close to him. I put my right hand on his shoulder, watching as he raised our two hands that were clasped together. As soon as we began moving, I looked down at our feet to make sure I wasn't going to step on his.

"Bella." Bee lifted my chin; my eyes landed on his. "You don't need to worry," He assured. "Just follow my lead." His hand soon went to my waist.

"A-Alright. ." God I hope he wasn't staring at my cheeks, I could feel them burning up.

* * *

 _ **October 30th, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **11:37 P.M**_  
 _ **Dimitri's Home Residence**_

From the balcony on the second floor, Mikaela had leaned on the railway as she looked down at the crowd beneath. Her eyes soon landed on a sight she became pleased with; her blushing childhood friend and her boyfriend's guardian dancing to the music.

Jordan strolled over, standing beside the vampire dressed girl. "Did it work?"

"Definitely." Mikaela nodded before nudging her to look in the direction she had. "See?"

Jordan squeaked with excitement at the view, "They're dancing together!"

"Wow," Mia came over, standing by Mikaela on her other side. "They actually _do_ look good together."

The two below seemed to have a conversation as they swayed along to the music. Occasionally, the growing group of watchers could see the red dusted on both of their cheeks after one laughed or smiled.

"When the hell are they gonna kiss?" Julie groaned.

"I don't know, but I'm tempted to go down there and just–" Nat raised both her hands, having both of them face each other before she smacked them together. "Y'know?"

"What's everyone doing over here?" Sam, having finished talking with a few other high schoolers dressed as Star Wars characters, approached the group.

"Well remember how I told you we'd come back and you'd see what I have been for the past week?"

"Yeah. .?"

"Come take a look."

As soon as Sam looked, she couldn't help but feel victorious at the amazement on his face. At the time, Bee had twirled the laughing Bella before pulling her back in. Mikaela smiled in the direction her boyfriend. He finally saw what she did.

"No way."

"Shocking isn't it?"

"I mean. . I didn't think. ." Sam stuttered, his face turning red as his girlfriend laughed at him.

"Welcome to the viewer club." Jordan said jokingly as the other girls snickered. "We watch this oblivious young romance as it blooms~"

* * *

 _ **October 30th, 2007**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **11:45 P.M**_  
 _ **Dimitri's Home Residence**_

"Well you certainly did your research on dancing." I grinned, keeping my eyes on Bee as his hand went back to my waist.

"When I was staring at the other pairs, yes."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Figures."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing nothing," I don't know why, but I began laughing as Bee just looked down at me with a smile. "You're just. . An advanced robot so. ." My voice became quiet as he slowly began leaning in.

He stopped. ". . So?" His breath blew in the direction of my face as he was now a few inches away.

". . S-So I just. . Came to the conclusion that you. ." His hand on my partially bare waist shifted, producing a shiver from the touch. "T-That you. ."

When he began leaning in once again, I closed my eyes, holding my breath. My hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck and I could feel his hand on my waist pull me closer. Part of me was yearning for the contact of his lips against mine, then another part was screaming at me to pull away. It scrambled my thoughts and messed around with my feelings.

"Oooo Bella~"

The voice made my eyes fly open. My eyes were on Bee who also looked surprised; our lips were just centimeters away from each other. The soft sound of my heart pounding pulled me into realization of what could have happened if we both didn't stop. As I knew I was blushing, I saw he was too.

"I didn't know you had a special someone."

I pulled away reluctantly, biting down on the inside of my cheek before clearing my throat as I turned to look at my friend. "H-He's just a friend, Rachel."

"Really?" She giggled. "I just saw you two were about to-"

"I-It was nothing!" I protested. The red on my cheeks spread to my entire face.  
It wasn't nothing. . Why am I lying?

"Sure it wasn't." Rachel laughed. "Anyways, I was just wondering if you saw Nat anywhere."

"I'm pretty sure she's upstairs."

"Thanks," She smiled before her eyes looked over Bee. "Sorry I interrupted."

I stood beside Bee, letting out a long sigh before brushing back my hair. ". . S-Sorry about that–" When I looked over at him, I saw his eyes were wide and not in my direction.

His fingers were against his lips as he seemed to be thinking. Even after I spoke to him, his eyes didn't go over to me as they just wandered downwards. "It's fine. ." He mumbled under his breath, probably still lost in thought.  
His hand lowered before he grasped mine. "Let's leave the dance floor before we start getting complaints about just standing around."

When I saw him smiling again, it felt different than it did earlier on. I wasn't happy to see him, I was flustered with myself. ". . R-Right." As we walked past dancing students, I found myself staring at Bee's back as he led me through.

Was I. . Gaining feelings for an Autobot?

* * *

 **Honestly I nearly fell out of my chair when I was writing Bella and Bee's little moment**  
 **They're just so cute! /)/u/(\**  
 **Beside me fangirling over those two, I just wanted to say we'll officially be headed into the TF2 arc.**  
 **Apologies for the sucky details on their costumes, I'm obviously not great with that ^^'**  
 **Anywho~ I hope you guys enjoyed because I know I sure did**  
 **This was a fun chapter to write**  
 **Thanks for reading**


	15. Preparation

prep·a·ra·tion  
ˌprepəˈrāSH(ə)n/  
noun  
something done to get ready for an event or undertaking.

* * *

 _ **June 25th, 2009**_  
 _ **Thursday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **11:09 A.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _Two years have gone by. . Well–nearly. You can understand a lot of time has gone by since the Halloween Party. I was seventeen then, now I'm nineteen; nearly an adult. Over those years I've built a good friendship with Sam, I'm almost as close to him as I am Miles. Shocking, right? Since I graduated a month ago, I'm getting ready for college. I already sent in my application for two that I'm interested in and I'm waiting for a response._

I trotted down the stairs, yawning quietly while heading over to the kitchen. My phone buzzed, signifying a text message had been sent. As I was about to pull it out from my pocket, I stopped once my eyes landed on a cringe worthy sight.

 _A lot has happened over the last two years I had in high school, and no I don't mean anything happened with me. Unfortunately everything just feels the same despite having the knowledge of aliens. Jordan and Adrien hooked up, just as I predicted. It happened right when Adrien became a junior and Jordan a senior. They did so much PDA it made me want to puke._

"Can you guys not?" I asked, catching their attention as they looked over. "I'm. . Kinda trying to get a snack without throwing up." Jordan had been sitting on Adrien's lap as he had been doing something on his laptop; they were kissing right when I entered.

"Eh," Adrien waved me off, his hands going back to Jordan's waist. "You'll get used to it."

I pointed my finger to my opened mouth, making a strangled sound which caused Jordan to laugh. "Get a room." I grumbled, walking over to the fridge before opening the freezer.

"Oh grow up, Bella." Jordan said as I pulled out an ice cream drumstick. "You and B are just as affectionate as we are."

I furrowed my brows, sarcastically smiling as I unwrapped my frozen treat. "Funny."

"Oh yeah, Bella, that reminds me,"

"Hm?" I threw away the wrapper, taking a bite out of the ice cream drumstick.

"Sam left his car in the garage for you to babysit."

I turned to look at the two, blinking surprised. ". . He did?"

"Yup."

"Oh. ." I swallowed down the chunk of the sweetened frozen dessert, finishing it off quickly before heading over to the garage door. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem." Adrien responded as I opened the door and closed it behind me once I entered.

 _What's there to say about me and Bee you ask? Nothing really has changed. . Ok. . Maybe I lied. After the Halloween party we were both a little awkward around each other, but once a week had passed we were back to normal. We got closer because of Sam always sending Bee over for me to watch and sometimes that Autobot would sneak away or come by the house just to hang out. Because of what almost happened at that party we would. . Have our moments._

A grin lifted on my face as I saw the yellow and black striped camaro. Its gears clicked as it shifted into Bumblebee who looked at me curiously; surprisingly I had gotten use to the sound.

"Hey big guy," I raised a hand, watching as he rested his metal cheek in my palm. "How ya been?"

" **Pretty good - how have you been?** "

I raised my shoulders, "I've been alright, excluding the anxiety of waiting for a response from the colleges I applied for."

Bee let out an electric chuckle, " **You'll be just fine - darlin.** "

"And _how_ exactly do you know that?"

The Autobot whirred lowly in response, his doorwings visibly lowering as he turned away. My hand lowered as he did so.  
" **Well - I just do.** "

"Hey," I nudged him with my hand on his cheek, bringing his face back to look at me. "I'm just messing with ya."

"Of course you are."

I jumped back, looking to my left to see a lopsided grinning blonde. He obviously enjoyed that reaction. "Jesus Bee."

"Sorry," He laughed, taking a step forward as I turned to look at the holoform. "I just wanted to assure you in this form with a voice instead of radio clips."

A small frown twitched at my lips hearing him say that with a self pitying laugh afterwards. "Bee it doesn't matter to me-"

"I know it doesn't but. . I prefer speaking to you like this." He smiled after interrupting me.

". . It's weird talking to you in your holoform when you're also right there." I laughed shortly, pointing towards his Autobot form which watched over the both of us. After I said that, the Autobot immediately transformed back into his alt mode.

" _You_ have _nothing_ to worry about, Bella. You're a smart girl; any colleges would be an idiot to not accept you."

Him saying that certainly boosted my confidence in getting accepted. "Thanks Bee, I definitely needed that."

"A little encouragement never goes wrong." The blonde beamed proudly.

"That's true." The giggle that left my lips became quieter when I noticed Bee staring in my direction with that heart pounding smile of his. I smiled in confusion at what exactly he was looking at. ". . What? Is there something in my teeth?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, you've just. . Grown." He reached out, his right hand brushing against my cheek.

I tensed up, my gaze downwards as I felt my heart skip a beat at the touch. It went from his hand ghosting across my flushed skin to cupping my cheek. My head tilted into the touch rather mindlessly.

 _I never understood it–even now I don't–but I always enjoyed Bee's touches. They were gentle, warm, and calming. Ah. . Listen to me, I sound like a love struck school girl. I'll admit, I've been questioning my feelings towards Bee over the time we've known each other, wondering whether I truly liked him in_ _that_ _sort of way or flat out insane._

"Is that a good thing?"

He nodded, "It feels like only yesterday I saw you while you were in junior year and now–" He took in a deep breath before finishing. "Now you're off to college."

I put my hand over his, smiling towards him. "The years go by fast don't they?"

"They do." He laughed causing me to as well. ". . I'm proud of you, Bella. You've come far."

"Thanks, Bee." When his hand left my cheek, I took in a deep breath as I watched him walk over to his alt mode. "Are you going with Sam to college?"

"Of course," The blonde leaned back on the hood of the vehicle, his fingertips gripping each side of it. "I _am_ his guardian."

"Right. How could I forget?"

"Aren't you going to the same college?"

"It all depends on acceptance, Bee. It all depends on that." The college I mainly yearned to go to was the one Sam was going to. Weird, right?

"Well at least I won't have to worry about not being able to see you."

I flipped my hair in a jokingly arrogant manner, "You just can't get enough of me."

Bee laughed, "Perhaps you're right."

My cheeks turned red, my conceited attitude shifting into an embarrassed one. "I-I was only joking. ."

"I know you were." The blonde leaned off the hood, taking a few steps forward to stand in front of me. "Why would I think you weren't?"

"I-I dunno." My eyes darted downwards.

"Bella."

"Yeah?" Warmth cupped both my cheeks, making my eyes widen as my face was lifted so I could look at the holoform. His hands were the the source of warmth covering my cheeks.

It was silent as he stared down at me and I stared right back up at him. The height difference wasn't major, but it definitely made him taller than me. When his face slowly leaned down to get closer to mine I could feel my heart begin to pound faster and faster-

His thumb brushed right underneath my eye as he came to a stop. "T-There was something right below your eye." He coughed, pulling away from me while lifting his hands my from my cheeks.

"Oh, uh. . Thanks." I couldn't help the awkward smile that lifted on my face as he turned away from me.

"It was no problem. Now, I believe you said you had some movies to recommend to me."

"Oh yeah! Well, there my personal favorites but I'm not sure if you'll like them."

He laughed, "I seem to always take a liking to your movies, Bella. Show me."

"Alright, just give me a sec to grab them."

 _Whenever we had those moments he instantly stopped it before it could continue into something more. Of course, it was silly to think a romance between two different races was possible. . God why the hell was that idea running through my head?_

* * *

 _ **June 25th, 2009**_  
 _ **Thursday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **7:41 P.M**_  
 _ **Witwicky Residence**_

"Soooo," Sam watched as his guardian drove through the grass and over to the garage. Mikaela stood by with her arms crossed before she and Sam walked in shortly afterwards before the Autobot's holoform appeared from thin air. "Did you make a move?"

After watching the pair for nearly two years, Sam was as supportive of his guardian's feelings as Mikaela had been. As she had, he rooted him on to finally confess what had been so pent up after the week Bella found out about the Autobots.

". . No." The blonde breathed out, frowning as he didn't meet his charge's gaze. "I just. . I couldn't."

"Why?" Sam frowned.

"I-I don't know! I just. ." Bee gripped his holoform's blonde locks of hair for a short moment, hissing in displeasure as he remembered how he backed out. "I just freeze up."

"Well we can't exactly _force_ him to make a move." Mikaela glanced at her boyfriend before walking over to the stand beside the holoform. "But. . That doesn't mean you can continue avoiding telling Bells how you feel." She took in a deep breath as she noticed the Autobot avoiding her gaze. "If I know her it's that she won't continue waiting for a move to be made."

"Maybe _she'll_ be the one to make a move." Sam said before he caught the gaze of his girlfriend who gestured for him to hush.

". . Do you really like Bella, Bee?" Mikaela asked softly.

"Of course I do."

What a silly question; the Autobot had come to terms with his feelings, they even grew over the time they knew spent with each other. At the beginning he was unsure of it, but it became clear to him. Though she was a human being, Isabella managed to snag his spark. He wanted her to be his. . But he wasn't sure if or how that was going to happen.

"Well. . Something tells me it won't be long before you finally decide to look her in the eyes and tell her how you feel." When Bee sighed Mikaela rubbed his back. "You got this big guy."

"Just take your time," Sam said as Mikaela then walked over to his side. The two then headed out of the small garage. "Just. . Don't take _too_ much time."

"Sam."

"What?"

"Try not to put any pressure on him."

"How was I putting pressure on him? I was encouraging!"

Their voices faded out as they exited, leaving the Autobot alone to think. Today had been the day he wanted to show his feelings since Sam was going to send him off to hang out with Bella, but he chickened out as soon as he attempted to do it.

The holoform shook his head, walking over to the hood of his alt mode. As soon as his back was to the hood he leaned back on it, resting on it afterwards. Now in silence the Autobot allowed himself to think for a moment.

Bumblebee knew his confession was long over due and he continued to push the date of when he'd speak further and further. Why? He had no idea, but just when he gained confidence and knew he was prepared, it would all just go away once he looked at her. He would just. . Completely forget what he was going to say before stuttering out an excuse on why he got into her personal space.

The holoform raised his hand in the air to see before lowering it and bringing it to his lips. The memory of the Halloween Party came to mind; he recalled every detail of the dressed princess in that moment. Her cheeks were flushed with red, her breath was held back, her heart was pounding so loudly he tried not to smile when he was looking at her; he made her react like that.

The blonde's hand soon went from his mouth to his face as did his other one. 'What am I doing? I'm thinking about her way too much.' With a small smack sound he covered his burning red face. He really _did_ fall for her–he was practically a love sick puppy!

The only thing the Autobot could utter was-  
"Slag."

* * *

 **This took longer than expected to write ^^'**  
 **Sorry for the delay–I had a bunch of ideas on how to write this chapter and I ended up going with this one**  
 **From here on out we are officially in the** _ **TF2**_ **arc. Finally!**  
 **I wanted to leave a hint of what Bella and Bee's relationship is like with the previous fourteen chapters before finally time skipping into the arc.**  
 **If you're confused then allow me to explain what's happened over (nearly) two years;**  
 **\- The romance between Bella and Bee is budding; slowly but we'll get there, promise. It** _ **has**_ **been a long time since they met each other after all.**  
 **• Their relationship with one another has gotten closer so they're** _ **very**_ **good friends with one another**  
 **-Jordan and Adrien have become a couple (lasting for almost a year)**  
 **-Sam's become supportive of Bee's feelings**  
 **I think that's all I need to explain, right? Yup.**  
 **Anywho~**  
 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter's introduction to our new arc (apologies if it seemed brief)**  
 **Thanks for reading!**


	16. Part-time

part-time  
adjective & adverb  
for only part of the usual working day or week.

* * *

 _ **June 26th, 2009**_  
 _ **Friday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **2:42 P.M**_  
 _ **Bakery**_

"Isabella, I need your help back here!"

"Coming!"

 _Oh yes, I had a part-time job. That's only because my mother decided to help me out since I had trouble with it earlier on during the end of junior year. She had a good friend who owned a bakery of her own; Maria Ramirez. She was usually a friendly woman but she's not the kind you'd want to annoy. Apparently Maria needed more hands to help around the bakery so my mother immediately set up an interview and told me at the last minute. In the end I got the job and over the days working there I came to enjoy it._

I ran to the back of the bakery where the small kitchen was. Maria had been holding a tray of cookies in her hands as other employees were busy baking and taking finished goods out to the front to be displayed.

My head tilted to the side, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Um. . What's there to help with, Ms. Ramirez-?"

"Try these." She held out a cookie for me. "I tried a new recipe and I trust your taste buds. They're very sharp like your mother's."

"I-" My sentence was cut off as she almost literally stuffed the cookie in my mouth.  
It was definitely warm, but that was because it was fresh out of the oven. Slowly, I chewed it down before swallowing. ". . It's delicious!"

"I'm glad." Maria smiled with content. "One of my favorite nieces recommended using it."

"Favorite?"

"Yes," She then put the batch down nearby. "She's a baker."

"Ah, that makes sense why she's your favorite." I snickered under my breath.

"She'll always be my favorite," Maria smiled as she turned around to look at me. "Now you can return to your work."

"Alright." I turned around, heading back out to the front of the bakery through the two doors.

"Thank you for giving the cookies a taste test, Isabella. Oh! I didn't even notice the time.  
Your shift should be ending soon."

"No problem and thanks for telling me." I waved back at her while pushing open the doors. "I'm sure your niece will become a great baker."

"Of course she will, she has the Ramirez blood running through her veins." Maria responded boastfully. "You'll probably see her taking over this business once I'm older."

'That'll certainly be an interesting sight.' As I made my way out the kitchen I could hear Maria scolding one of the bakers in Spanish.

 _Once the college in mind had accepted me, I'd have to get ready to move, quit this part time job, and leave good friends here. I actually liked the job which made me feel even worse about my choice. Maria was a great woman and I'd definitely miss her big ego and sass._

The bell hung up at the front door made a chiming noise as it was triggered by someone who opened it. I looked to see who it was and a wide smile raised on my face. "Nat!"

"Hey Bells~" She waved with her usual grin. "I see you're still workin' hard."

"My shift's almost over," I briefly glanced over at the clock as she walked over to where I was. "Only a couple more minutes left now actually."

"Well aren't you a lucky duck."

I rolled my eyes before looking at her, "What can I get ya, costumer?"

"One full apple pie and a dozen bagels, please~"

"Let me guess–" I went over to grab the baked goods she ordered. "The apple pie is for your dad and sister while the bagels are for your mom."

"Yup." She popped the 'p' as she watched me get her order together. Once I had them together in a bag to go on the front counter, she put the amount of money down in front of me to take. "Thanks."

"It's no problem." I smiled as she grabbed the bag. "Besides, your family has to be one of our usuals."

"Well the baking here _is_ pretty amazing." Nat said with major emphasis before letting out a sigh. "I'm going to miss coming to this place just to get my family's freakin' baked goods."

I snickered, collecting the money. "You and I both know that you'll be coming back around here for your own sweets."

" _Whaaat_? No," She scoffed in disbelief as she then turned around and made her way to the exit. "I-I would never-"

I waved with a roll of my eyes, "Bye Nat."

"Adios amigo~!"

 _Nat was just one of the many faces I wouldn't be seeing for quite some time. Because her college was still in the area, she'd be staying while I'd be leaving._

"Your shifts over, Bella!" Maria shouted from the kitchen, and before I could respond I could hear her heels clicking with the kitchen doors opening afterwards. I looked over to see she was now standing beside me and she patted my shoulder. "You did well today."

"Thanks boss."

"Boss! It's happening again!" A baker shouted in distress from the kitchen.

She patted me one last time before walking back into the kitchen, "Maybe you could take one of the sweets to that kind boyfriend of yours."

Her voice faded from my ears after she said that. Boyfriend? She couldn't have meant. . I shook my head. No, she couldn't have.

I brought Bee to the bakery just once to show him where I worked; he was so curious about trying the baked goods when he saw them. I had to admit, the way his eyes lit up at the sight was cute. When Maria saw him she gave him one sweet on the house, and when he wasn't paying attention she told me how handsome he was in her eyes, how alluring his blue eyes were. I would have vomited at hearing such a descriptive cheesy thing about a boy, but for once I just. . I didn't get the urge to. I only rolled my eyes as she chuckled, but on the inside I agreed with her.

My eyes were focused on the counter as I was thinking and they slowly went over to the various baked goods. Would he want one?

"Ah shit," I cursed under my breath, shaking my head as I left my work space. "I seriously need to stop."

* * *

 _ **June 26th, 2009**_  
 _ **Friday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **2:55 P.M**_  
 _ **?**_

With my headphones playing music in my ears, I was now past the bakery and walking down the sidewalk towards my home. I yawned, watching cars pass by from the side of the road.

"Bella!"

"Hm?" I looked over to see Sam who jogged over from across the street. I stopped walking as he approached, stopping in front of me. "What brings you over here? From what I heard you were going to have a date with Mikaela."

"Yeah, we are," Sam confirmed with a nod. "I just saw you across the street so I just thought I'd say hi."

"Well I don't want to interrupt your date."

"It's fine, it's fine." He laughed. "You're not interrupting."

I looked at him before realization dawned on me, "Could you give Bee something?"

Puzzlement was clear on Sam's face, but he took the bag I handed to him. "Uh, yeah sure."

"Thanks."

". . Y'know something, Bella?"

"What?"

"I don't know why but. . It still seems so hard to believe. We'll be headed to college soon."

An understanding smile lifted on my face, "Time flys by fast."

"It sure does." He whistled before laughing. "We might be going to the same college."

"That much is true."

"You promise you won't act like a stranger when you find a group of friends?" He asked.

"Me? Act like a stranger?" I leaned forward, nudging him with a small grin. "I'd never. You're my friend, Sam."

He smiled, relief in his eyes, "Thanks Bella."

"It's no problem, I'm sure we're going to have a great first year." I beamed.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from getting back to your home. I know how your mom can get when you don't come back on time."

"That's true. I'll talk to you later then." I then continued walking down the sidewalk, turning around and waving as he dashed across the street and over to the other side. There was a diner, and I could only assume that was where Sam and Mikaela were having their date. I could see him from a distance approach that camaro parked in the lot, leaning over the rolled down window and handing over the bag.

I turned around, now looking ahead as I continued to play my music. I didn't know why, but I couldn't hold back the smile on my face.  
'I guess I'll see you later too, big guy. I hope you enjoy the treat.'

* * *

 **This chapter was one of the shortest ones I've** _ **ever**_ **written for this series. Holy chiz ;-;**  
 **I'm sorry–both for that and disappearing.**  
 **My creativity was pretty low at the time, but I managed to create this chapter for you guys.**  
 **I promise the next one won't be as short.**  
 **Thanks for reading~**


	17. Friend

friend  
frend/  
noun  
1.  
a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

* * *

 _ **June 27th, 2009**_  
 _ **Saturday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:22 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

Music was playing from my phone on the countertop as I looked at myself in the mirror. I was just messing around with my long black locks of hair, bouncing it around and running my fingers through it with a purse of my lips.  
It was the weekend now, meaning I didn't have to work for today. I could relax and unwind.

Right when I was about to sing along and jam out to the music, it stopped because of an incoming phone call. I groaned, "Seriously?" I tsked before taking it off the countertop and answering the call. "Yo."

"Get your ass in gear, Bella. We're going to have a farewell party for Mia." It was Jordan.

"Farewell party?" I raised a brow before noticing the call had been a group one.

"Yup, since she'll be leaving to study abroad tomorrow so we're going to hold a farewell party for her." She stated.

"We're going to make sure it'll be the best!" Julie exclaimed bubbly.

"We haven't hung out for quite some time anyways," Rachel added. "Nat gets to see you frequently at the bakery because of her freakin' family, it's not fair. She's get you all to herself."

"Hey now," I laughed. "It's kinda my job to be there for the customer might I remind you. I have to admit though, the idea of having a good time with Mia before she goes sounds great."

"Good, get yourself ready then."

"See you in a few minutes, Bells~"

"What are you guys going to do while I get ready?" I asked.

"Pick up Mia of course."

"Duh."

"Hey, it's not like I could've guessed that." I brushed back a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I thought Mia _already_ had a ride–a motorcycle."

"She does, but she's shipping it tonight to that foreign country so she'll have a ride when she gets there."

"Oh, well that makes sense." I exited the bathroom, going into my room to get something to wear.

"Don't dress _too_ casual, Bella. We'll see you in a few."

"Aye aye captain."

"Ew," Rachel spoke just as Julie snickered in the background. "Did you _seriously_ just say that? Oh my god, Bella."

"Shut up," I laughed as Julie and Jordan both did. "I'll see you soon. Honk when you guys are outside, alright?"

"Got it."

I then hung up, throwing my phone onto my bed before skipping over to my drawers.  
"What shall I wear for the occasion?" I mumbled, looking through them for an outfit.

* * *

 _ **June 27th, 2009**_  
 _ **Saturday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:47 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

Shortly after I was dressed and ready to go, the sound of the car honking signaled they were outside. A simple light red T-shirt, jean shorts, and shades because why not?

I quickly headed down the stairs, catching the confused gaze of my mother who peaked from the kitchen. "Me and my friends are just holding a farewell party for Mia." I explained, putting on my sneakers.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" She asked.

"Not too long. I'll probably be back before midnight knowing them." I let out a puff of air as I finished, reaching for the front door's knob.

"Be careful, mija."

"Make sure to call us if anything goes wrong." Connor said from the kitchen.

I took a quick glance at her after hearing Connor. "I'll be careful, I promise." I then opened the front door and headed out. "Love you mom." After closing the door behind me, I looked to see the three I had been expecting.

Just from the appearance of the parked dark Kia Forte, I was able to tell Rachel was the one driving. An obnoxious honk resounded, nearly startling me half to death as Jordan, in the passenger's seat rolled down the window. "Get in loser, we're going shopping."

"What are you? Regina George?" I raised a brow in amusement at her impression of the character before I walked over, opening the door to the second row in the car.

"If I was I wouldn't be so nice to everyone in this car."

"That's a given." Mia, now sitting in the middle, watched as I got in and then closed the door. "Hey Bella."

"Hey Mia."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jordan looked back at her from the front.

"Now now girls," Julie, who was sitting to the left side of the second row looked at the two. "Let's try playing nice. This _is_ a day dedicated to Mia that should be a happy one."

Mia's eyebrows furrowed as she turned her head to look at Julie.  
"You say that like I'm going to die tomorrow."

"Sorry if it sounds like I am–" Julie looked down at her lap. "But you _are_ leaving soon."

"You're abandoning us for the foreign world." Jordan sighed dramatically, slapping a hand over her chest as if she was stabbed fatally. "I'm hurt."

"Shut up." Mia rolled her eyes while we all laughed.

"Alright, just so we can make this clear we're _not_ really going to go shopping are we?" I looked at the group.

Mia blew a raspberry, "No, of course not. Just shopping would be such a bore and you'd probably get upset for getting dressed for just going through the mall."

"True that." I nodded.

"From what they told me we'll be having a small party."

"Where though?"

"At my place," Rachel answered proudly. "This farewell party is going to be with just us."

"Sounds pretty shady." Jordan commented as the driver huffed in offense.

"Just because you've never been to my house doesn't make it shady."

" _Shadddyyyy_."

Rachel groaned as she looked back at the road, starting up the car. "You've been hanging around Adrien too much."

"He's my boyfriend and its summer time. I'm not exactly going to spend my time being alone."

"Yak." Mia made a gesture of throwing up.

"Ewwww." I stuck out my tongue.

"You two are children in disguise." Jordan said in response to our reactions.

"So? What first?" Rachel asked as we were now on the road.

"First we should be go and do a little shopping, then we'll have a nice lunch, and then we'll head to your place and have a nice ending _private_ farewell party."

"Sounds good."

"I'm all for it."

"Still sounds creepy." A shout of pain came from Jordan after her comment as Rachel had smacked her arm.

-  
 _ **June 27th, 2009**_  
 _ **Saturday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **9:36 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _It felt like forever as we spent time with each other. When we were in the mall, Mia barely bought any clothing compared to Rachel who went on her own little spree. Jordan and I mostly spent our money on treats and food as we roamed around the mall. Once that was over we went to a nice restaurant Julie had made a reservation at. I had never gone to the place but after going there I made sure to remember the location. Their food was amazeballs! Mia definitely enjoyed herself. The final thing to finish the hang out / farewell party was the party itself._

"What are we going to do at your house anyways?" Mia asked in a tired mumble as we walked up to Rachel's house.

"Whatever you guys want to do," Rachel laughed as she unlocked the front door, stepping aside to let us enter. "Go crazy."

When the lights flicked on, Mia had to gasp for the longest time, I'm sure her energy was restored. The rest of us just looked in shock as we stood by her. The sight in front of us was. . Unexpected.

"SURPRISE!" A bunch of fellow high schoolers from our schools had been waiting in the darkness. The sound of party poppers going off startled me as confetti fell to the ground.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Jordan gaped. "I didn't know about this!"

"The so called private farewell party has now turned into a public one." Julie murmured.

In the lobby of the large home was a table full of Mia's favorite snacks, drinks, and even a bottle of wine in a basket. Behind it all was a large picture frame with different photos taken in our years of knowing each other and some of just in high school. Then there was a banner overhead that said; 'We'll Miss You, Mia!'

"You guys. ." Mia was obviously speechless as we all walked towards the table to take a closer look.

There were notes written and scattered on the table, all of them for Mia. A heartwarming smile lifted on my face as I looked it over.  
Mia was the type of person everyone knew, no exaggerating there. Seeing all of these familiar faces didn't surprise me.

I walked over to Rachel, letting Mia take in the sight in front of her. "You did all this?"

"Well _maybe_." A smile lifted on Rachel's face after I shook my head. "Nearly everyone wanted to say goodbye to Mia. . Most of the other ones are just here for the drinks unfortunately."

"That doesn't actually surprise me." I glanced over at Mia who hugged someone and then began talking with another. "Where are your parents anyways? I don't think they'd just leave out their fine wine for their daughter to consume so carelessly."

"They left for the week on a business trip, this is the final day they'll be away from home." Rachel answered before gesturing over to the former high school students. "Hence, the birth of this lovely farewell party."

"Well played," I crossed my arms. "Let's go enjoy ourselves and celebrate Mia just being our friend tonight."

"I believe that was the point of all this after all." Rachel grinned before patting my back. "Let's party for Mia!" She shouted which made everyone cheer afterwards.

 _It felt like another two hours of just partying with everyone in the house. Mia was so happy, I'm sure this was a night she'd never forget. She probably drank the beer some genius brought with him into the house because she was wasted when she walked over to me, Rachel, Jordan, and Julie. Beside the alcohol, I have to admit I had a fun time._

"You guys mean so much to me." Mia hiccupped as she wrapped her arms around our shoulders to bring us in close.

"Mmhm."

"I love you guys," She nearly fell forward but was lucky enough to be caught by Rachel. "Don't ever forget me, ok?"

"You say that like we won't be in touch for life." Julie laughed. "We'll always remember you and we'll make sure to call and Skype whenever we can."

"Shit, I'm going to miss you all."

"We're going to miss you too, Mia." We all gathered around and gave her a group hug.

"Our group will never be the same without you."

"You promise to try visiting when you got the money to?"

Mia laughed, "I promise. You guys are family and I'll always come back for family."

Just hearing that made me teary, but content at the same time. I knew Mia since seventh grade after transferring to a different middle school and she was definitely my beacon of support.

"God," When Rachel pulled away both me and Julie sniffled. She wiped away a few years from her eyes. "We're getting _too_ touchy right now."

"Let's go party until the end then."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"I think I'll have to help Mia walk back into the party." Jordan said as she kept an arm around her to keep her from stumbling.

"I can walk." Mia protested.

"No, you really can't. You're already drunk." We all then continued on with enjoying the night. "How much did you even drink?"

I smiled as I looked at my group of friends. Once Mia was gone, moments like these just wouldn't be the same. We all wouldn't be going to the same colleges that much I knew. .  
I also knew I'd miss this.

* * *

 **I am on a updating spree \\*^*/**  
 **Well for two chapters at least ^^'**  
 **Mia's going away to study abroad, so sad :c**  
 **At least they did something spectacular for her before she left–her stay went out with a bang!**  
 **Since I haven't written much with Isabella's other friends since the Halloween party chapter, I decided to put them all in this one to say adios to Mia.**  
 **I hope you guys enjoyed ^^**


	18. Endearment

endearment  
inˈdirmənt,enˈdirmənt/  
noun  
a word or phrase expressing love or affection.

* * *

 _ **June 28th, 2009**_  
 _ **Sunday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **3:00 A.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _After that dragged out hangout/ farewell party for Mia, it became dark. We all went home of course, excluding Rachel since she was already at her home. Lucky duck. Me, Jordan, Julie, and Mia were completely exhausted. Everyone at home was already fast asleep. I ate a late dinner, cleaned my own dishes, took a shower and got ready for bed. I had to be sleeping by the time my phone began buzzing with a phone call from my nightstand. Little did I know things would take a big turn that night._

The sound of my phone vibrating was faint to my ears as I had been close to falling sleep. A soft groan left my lips as I turned on my side, trying to ignore the sound as I was exhausted and wanted to rest. Of course it continued, stopped, and then continued on. Whoever was calling me was persistent as hell for me to answer. I turned back to face my nightstand and snatched it.

"Hello?" I tried my best not to sound irritated while raising my hand to touch my forehead as a small shot of pain ran in my head.

"Bella? Are you still awake?" It was Bee.

I sat up, now curious as to why he called at such a late time as the annoyance I felt left. "Um. . Yeah, I am. What's up?"

"Could you possibly come by the abandoned railway right now?"

"Why? Is something wrong?" I asked, feeling concerned with his tone. He sounded. . Hesitant.

"No no, nothing's wrong. I'd just like to speak with you about something. It would be better to talk about in person rather than on the phone."

I raised myself up, now sitting on my bed as I then moved my hand to the top of my head, giving it a short scratch. "Um sure. That's fine." I didn't bother asking why it couldn't wait for a few more hours since the sun would be up then. I sorta just went along with the flow.

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, I think I'll walk this one." I lowered my hand, letting it drop to my side. "It's been a while since I've gotten some exercise."

"If you insist. I'll bring a water bottle for you once you arrive."

"Thanks," I smiled; since I was already tired, I knew I would definitely get exhausted walking for so long. "That would be appreciated."

"No problem, I'll see you there."

"Mmhm." The phone call ended shortly afterwards. I put my phone on my lap before blinking in the darkness.

What did Bee have to talk about that was so important to call me in the middle of the night?

* * *

 _ **June 28th, 2009**_  
 _ **Sunday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **3:28 A.M**_  
 _ **Abandoned Railway**_

Once I reached the location, I was drained; drowsiness and running aren't the best combination, in my opinion of course.

I stretched my arms, letting out a yawn before looking around for any sign of the blonde holoform or the camaro. Soon enough, I spotted the holoform sitting down on the railroad tracks.

Without saying a word, I walked up behind him. "Hey." I greeted softly.

He turned his head to look at me, his blue eyes illuminated the darkness. "Hey there."

I took a seat beside him, scooting a little closer to him after I noticed him turn away. "You sounded pretty nervous on the phone. You _know_ you can tell me if something's up, Bee."

"Nothing's wrong, Bella." He chuckled. "Can I _not_ ask to talk with you out here?"

"It's pretty damn late to be calling me out here don't you think?"

"You answered though."

"Hmph. Touché pal." I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "So, what's up?"

"The sky." Before I could respond to his smart remark he held out the water bottle he spoke of before. "Here ya go."

"You really brought a water bottle. . ?" I took it from his hand in surprise.

"Of course, I made sure to bring one. Knowing how long you'd take to walk here would have probably made you tired."

"Thanks, Bee." I proceeded to take off the top to the bottle, and once it was off I took a quick swig of it.

". . Y'know, it's been a while since I've seen you, Bella. I wanted to thank you before for that treat you handed to Sam to deliver to me, but you ran off before I could even say something."

I lowered the water bottle, "Is that so? Sorry." I scratched the side of my cheek before a smile lifted on my face. "But that's true, huh? It has been a while since we talked one on one or even hung out with one another. You know what? I _almost_ missed seeing you." I teased with laughter following afterwards. When silence met my laughs, I quieted down and noticed Bee had his face turned away from me. After managing to sneak a peek at him, I saw his cheeks were notably red. "Did that make you feel embarrassed hmm~?" I nudged him with a grin. "I see your cheeks are lighting up."

"T-They're not." He insisted, coughing awkwardly. "You must be imagining things, maybe even _seeing_ things. It _is_ pretty dark out here."

"Yeah, sure." I giggled with a roll of my eyes.  
"If you say so, Bee." I then continued drinking the water from the bottle.

The silence from earlier continued as I could only hear the water bottle make a cracking sound as I drained it of its contents, the crickets chirping, and the occasional flickering of the street light nearby.

". . Bella?"

"Hm?"

"I think I've told you this before but–" He let out a pent in breath. "I've seen so many things in the years I've been functioning."

When he said that, I pulled the water bottle away from my lips, swallowing down the water I had left in my mouth right after I turned to look at him. A feeling of concern washed over me as Bee had this certain look on his face, as if he was taking a gruesome look back on his past. Why was he talking about this all of a sudden?

"I've seen what feels like an entire galaxy that no Cybertronian has ever ventured beyond. I've watched comrades fall in front of me, the Decepticons grow in numbers, the fall of my home world and the destruction of it. ."

". . Bee-" I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, holding my water bottle with the other.

"L-Let me finish." He seemed to struggle with his words as he was now looking down, avoiding my gaze.

"You really don't have to talk about this if you can't bring yourself to." Was _this_ what Bee wanted to talk about with me? His past? "Don't force yourself, Bee." I said softly.

There was a second of silence before I heard him take in a deep breath and exhale, "I've. . Felt so many things; despair, hope, distress, protectiveness, strength, awe, wonder, and even happiness–" He then turned to look at me. "But I never thought in all my years of living and battling I'd feel something like this, especially for a different race."

Wait. As Bee leaned in, I could only look at him in astonishment with wide eyes as I didn't bother moving away or towards him. Was he actually trying to do _that_? _That's_ why he called me out here? To do _this_? The grip I had on my water bottle vanished as the sound of it thudding against the railway made me snap out of my shock.

"S-Shit," I stuttered, getting up to my feet as I coughed violently. My heart was pounding so fast, it was almost like that one time at the Halloween Party; so pristine to feel but gone in an instant.  
"I'm sorry, Bee."  
Wow, this time _I_ was the one who ruined the moment. What a turn of events. Great going Bella.

"No, no, it's fine."

My eyes were on the remaining water that was left in the bottle as it spilled out onto the rusted tracks. The light red tracks turned dark as the liquid made contact with it. "I'll get it." I reached down to pick it up, and once I did I lifted it up. "Geez, now I have no water left. This sucks." I sighed, looking over the now empty bottle. "Ah, whatever. That doesn't matter. I think I got my fair share of drinking some of it to bring back _some_ energy. Now," I turned to look at Bee who had been standing behind me. "What were you trying to say?" Right as I finished my sentence, lips I never thought I'd feel met mine which cut me off mid-sentence.

Inside, my heart was pounding like crazy and making it almost hard to breathe. My thoughts were popping up in my head like multiple warning virus signs on a crappy unprotected computer. Holy shit, Bee is kissing me, holy fucking shit.

'. . His lips are warm and soft.' I noted as I felt his hand cup my cheek. I inwardly laughed. What a cheesy description for a boy's lips.

When I was beginning to kiss him back he had pulled away. I could feel his hand slip away from my cheek as I stared at him in awe. I could feel my cheeks were burning; they were red.

"Bella–" A smile appeared on his face. "I'm not sure if I've made myself clear before but I like being able to spend time with you, and just get the opportunity to see you. I treasure those moments." He laughed, a shy smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes darted towards the ground momentarily.

I couldn't bring myself to say or do anything. Bee just kissed me and now he was. . Confessing? Oh god I was _not_ prepared for this.

"I know _you_ don't like it, but I personally like the way you get flustered and start stuttering after someone says something that takes you off guard. It's cute."

"Bee," I managed to bring myself to say his name as I watched him. "Y. . You-"

"Your personality is unique, even if you say it isn't I believe it is. You're free spirited, funny, kind, caring, and utterly unpredictable at times. All those traits are what I like about you. They're the things that make you so colorful. It's what make you. . You."

'Am I really all those things?' I wanted to look down at my hands, but I couldn't. My eyes felt glued to Bee as he spoke, and I couldn't turn away. 'When he says that. . He says it with such sincerity. My heart and mind can't take much more!'

"I like the way you laugh and smile, as cheesy as it sounds. I like your wavy black hair and the way you make it bounce and shake it around like its a lion's mane." He laughed. "And I like that twinkle you get in those brown eyes, it tells me you're truly happy. . Like right now."

". . Bee. ." I was at a complete loss for words. Holy shit, I have _never_ felt _this_ way whenever someone confesses to me. . This is like a complete different level!

". . I think I've fallen for you, Bella."

Oh god. How do I respond to this? He just confessed to me. After nearly two years of knowing each other and strangely waiting for him to do something, he made a move.

My grip on the water bottle tightened as it then made a cracking sound at the force. When I opened my mouth to respond, the expression on Bee's face seemed to fall. "Bee?"

"What in the Pit am I doing. .?"

"Bee?" Just as he stepped back from me, I took a step forward with a frown. What was with that look? Did he regret it?

"I-I'm sorry, Bella." He quickly turned away.

I released the crumpled water bottle, not caring about it falling as I reached out for him.  
"Bee, wait!" When I tried grasping his hand to pull him back, his holoform disappeared right as my fingers had brushed against his. "Bee!" I shouted, soon trying to run after him. Even if I didn't know where he parked, that didn't stop me from trying to go and find him. "Wait a second! Bee!"

The sound of the camaro speeding away made me stop in my tracks. I grabbed at my hair as I could see the tail lights of the vehicle become distant and eventually disappear from sight. "Shit!" I eventually cursed, kicking an empty glass bottle away nearby out of frustration as I began looking around at my surroundings.

What the hell just happened? Why did he run away after saying stuff like that? After confessing–Was it something I did or said to him? I don't even think I got a chance to say anything besides his name. It was as if something snapped inside of him that made him dash off.

I turned back to look at where I last saw the camaro moments ago, a feeling of confusion and hurt came over my heart and head.  
". . You didn't even give me a chance to say something." I mumbled.

* * *

 **This chapter has BellaXBee shipping frustration written** _ **all**_ **over it.**  
 **I actually had fun writing this, especially the confession part obviously cx**  
 **At least he admitted to having feelings for her and they had their first kiss, right? That's a good thing since I see a few of you who put down a review saying 'KISS ALREADY!'**  
 **But why did Bee run off so suddenly when Bella was about to respond? That was weird, right?**  
 **Well don't fret (or get** _ **too**_ **angry with me on how this ended ^^') all will be explained in the next two chapters.**  
 **I also wanted to add a thank you for those who take their time to write reviews for this story, seeing them keep me inspired to write, push me to not be so lazy at times, and even make my day. Seriously, some of your reviews make me laugh and smile!**  
 **And for those who favorite and follow I'd also like to thank you, it means a lot that you're enjoying this story as it continues.**  
 **Anywho~**  
 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter**  
 **The romance is beginning to blossom~~**


	19. Accept

accept  
əkˈsept/  
verb  
believe or come to recognize (an opinion, explanation, etc.) as valid or correct.

* * *

 _ **June 28th, 2009**_  
 _ **Sunday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **10:04 A.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _My mind had to have been completely blank after what happened just a few hours ago. All the voices around me had to be drowned out as I sat down to eat breakfast with my family. The memory of Bee replayed in my mind repeatedly–it would just start from the beginning once it was finished._

"Mija."

"Huh?" The sound of my mother's voice drove me out of my thought absorbed state. When I looked around I saw Connor sitting at the small table in the kitchen in front of me with Adrien to my left, and my mother to my right as she was standing next to me. They were all staring at me as if they had witnessed a different side. The feeling of warmth in both my hands made me glance down to see I had been holding a cup of coffee from the looks of it.  
"S-Sorry." I apologized quietly. I must have blacked out.

"Are you alright?" My mother asked with concern. "It seems like something bad happened. ."

"No," I dismissed her assumption. "Nothing bad happened I just–" I took in a deep breath before releasing it. "It's nothing. ."

"You sure?" Adrien popped in.

"Yeah." I put the half-filled mug on the table in front of me, getting up from my seat and heading out of the kitchen. "Sorry, I think I'm going to go to my room."

"Alright mija. ." I could hear my mother say quietly before I headed up the stairs to my room.

I knew the way I was acting was suspicious and worrying to my family, but I couldn't help it. My mind was clouded and it would eventually pull me in so I could remember him–so I could remember Bee that early in the morning and his words. It wouldn't leave my head.

I trudged inside my room, getting back onto my bed and then curling up on top of the blankets I messily left behind after waking up. The sound of birds chirping were soft and the only thing I could actually hear besides me tossing and turning in my bed.

'. . What was I even gonna say in response?' The confession was so sudden but I was positive I had something to say in response. 'Do I. . Like him too?'

My phone began ringing in my pajama pant pocket, halting my thoughts before they could consume me once more. Could it be Bee? My heart nearly stopped at the thought. What if it was actually him? What would I even say after what happened?! God I have _never_ felt this anxious. I pulled out my electronic device hesitantly and answered, bringing it to my ear. ". . Hello?"

"Hey, Bella." Oh, well it was relieving to find out it was Mikaela. I let out a quiet sigh of relief that I internally hoped she didn't hear before speaking.

"Mick? Um. . What's up?"

"You want to meet up and get something to eat at that cafe I told you about?" When I opened my mouth to respond to her offer she added. "I know what happened."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, my heart beginning to pound after hearing her. ". . You do?"

"Of course I do." Somehow I could see her smiling as she was talking. "Bella, you don't need to be afraid. I promise you that Bee's not with me and neither is Sam."

"I-Is Sam with Bee?"

"I'm almost positive he is." She sighed. "I'll be there to pick you up in a few, ok?"

"Alright. ." She then hung up, leaving me back to my silence until I got off my bed to get ready. I needed to get some fresh air. I _did_ feel pretty suffocated in my room with all these thoughts and feelings.

* * *

 _ **June 28th, 2009**_  
 _ **Sunday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **10:27 A.M**_  
 _ **Cafe**_

 _It wasn't a surprise it was quiet between us. What else was there to talk about with_ _that_ _in mind? Almost nothing! Surprisingly though, I didn't feel so. . Anxious. I felt relaxed in the presence of Mikaela. We began chatting again once we arrived at the cafe she had spoken of a few weeks ago._

"Soooo–" I looked over at her as we walked inside after pushing open the door. "How did you find out?"

"From Sam," She responded as we then made our way over to a table. "He called me about it when it was super late."

"Late?" I raised as a brow as we sat on opposite sides of the table to face each other. I put both my hands on my lap, twiddling my thumbs.  
"How. . Late?" Though the answer was clear, I just wanted confirmation.

"Around three in the morning I think." Mikaela scratched the back of her head as she seemed to think back on it. "He told me that he heard Bee drive back into the garage rather noisily."

"Noisily?"

"His engine was roaring louder than usual." She explained. "It pulled Sam from his sleep and he went to check it out. He told me he asked Bee what the problem was and where he went but he didn't respond at all."

"So he was ignoring him. .?" That wasn't like Bee, if I knew anything about him it was that if anything was wrong he would go to Sam about it. They knew each other longer than I did and they grew to become best friends and trust each other.

"Yeah." Mikaela frowned. "He didn't seem to want to talk at all. . Well. . Until he said he was going to try calling either you or me later on."

I flinched, "That's. . What made him start talking?"

"At first, Sam thought there was something wrong with me and Bee but he eventually came to the conclusion that _something_ was actually up with you two."

"Then?"

"Bee started talking with him after he made the assumption. He apologized of course and then told Sam why he left the garage so late afterwards."

"After that Sam called you and for some weird reason you were still awake which is why you answered. He told you and then you decided to call me later on because you figured that'd be best. . Right?" That seemed to make sense to me after I laid it all out.

"Yup."

I scratched the side of my head, closing my eyes as I hissed out a sigh. "Look I'm going to be completely honest with you. I. . I don't know what to do about all this." That uncertainty from earlier settled back in my mind, almost like fog in an area.

"You mean with Bee?"

"I mean. . I always had this feeling there was something between us but. . I never thought it would actually happen."

"Because he's an Autobot and your human?"

Was that why I wasn't able to say anything back then? The reminder of us being two completely different species came to mind a few times. . But was that _really_ it?

"I. . I think-"

"You don't sound so sure." Mikaela's eyebrows furrowed from my stutter of a response. "Maybe it's something else entirely. . Bella."

"Yeah?"

She clasped her hands together, her right pointer finger busy scratching at her red nail polish. "I don't want to sound like I'm being nosy–Actually no, this is totally necessary to know for this situation. Bee's already confessed to you about how he feels. . Do you feel the same way?"

". . Huh?" My heart began pounding almost immediately after hearing that question.

"Y'know. . Do you like him back. . In _that_ way?"

That's the question that's been on my mind besides the constant replay of him. _Did_ I like him back?

"I mean. . I know I feel _something_ it's just–" I lowered my gaze, frowning. "I dunno. ."

"You're confusing yourself."

". . Is that what it is?"

"Bella." I felt a hand cover mine, and I could only assume it was Mikaela's as I raised my head to look at her once more. Her gaze reflected gentleness as if she could understand what I was going through. She wanted to ease my mind and she was slowly doing so.  
"You're making things much more complicated than they have to be. I mean. . For someone whose knows you for such a long time I'm surprised to see you react like this."

"What exactly are you saying?"

"It's obvious you like him too." Mikaela said with a smile. "You just seem hesitant to act or explore them." She then leaned back in her seat, her hands lifting from mine. "Plus, I've always thought you did like him–from the very beginning. It looked like you tried pushing them away, but they still lived on."

'Since the very beginning. . Now that I'm thinking clearly she's right. After that Halloween Party things did change-"

"Bella."

"Hm?" I halted my thoughts as Mikaela spoke.

"Just because he's an alien from a different universe doesn't mean you can't fall for him. Love has no boundaries. I say go for it–"

"Go for it?" My heart beat picked up its pace, almost like adrenaline was being pumped in my veins.

"Meaning tell him you feel the same."

'I. . I had come to like Bee. I just never came around to poke at those feelings as much as I am now because of how he'd always back off.' The memories of him during those moments were so easy to recall over the time we knew each other. 'I was beginning to push them away. . But then he told me how he felt.'

I got up from my seat, leaning over and hugging Mikaela. "Thank you, Mick. I know I can always count on you to make things clear."

She patted my back while returning the hug,  
"It was already clear to you, Bella. Your mind was just messing with the image and making it all blurry."

"Well this _is_ the first time I've ever gotten an alien that transforms into a car to confess to liking me." We shared a laugh at that before I pulled away. "I have to admit I'm. . Actually pretty hungry."

"That's why I brought you here." Mikaela smirked. "I figured you were thinking too much to actually try and eat."

I blushed before smiling, "You really do know me."

"Of course I do, and I probably know you better than anyone else. We grew up together after all."

"That's true."

"Well–" She got up from her seat. "I'll get you something I know you'll eat up."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head, "No no, I got it. You stay here and relax. _Someone_ needs to make sure that our table doesn't get stolen."

"Who would take our table?"

"An asshole probably," Mikaela answered with a chuckle. "Just stay put. I have a feeling you have some thinking to do which'll need some silence." She then walked over to get in the small line of those who were going to order.

I leaned back in my seat, my eyes now on the ceiling. Now that my mind was clear of the events before I had to focus on what to do with him. Would Bee even let me talk to him? He drove of so suddenly. . He probably wouldn't; knowing him he'll try to avoid me.

"Alright," Food and drinks were put down on the table as Mikaela sat back down in front of me. "I got something you just can't resist-"  
She stopped-mid sentence before asking. "What's wrong now?"

"I'm not sure if Sam told you this but after Bee told me how he felt he just. . Seemed to lose his cool."

"How exactly did he 'lose his cool'?" Mikaela asked. Yup, she didn't know about that part.

"The smile on his face dropped, he took a few steps back from me and he just ran. When I tried going after him his holoform went poof and I saw him speeding away."

"That's. . Weird, even for an Autobot like Bee."

"You think?"

"I always struck him up as being the kind to be. . I dunno. . Confident."

"Something tells me he'll be trying to steer clear of me."

"What makes you think that?"

"Just from the looks of it. ." I let out a sigh. "I personally hope I'm wrong. I really do want to talk to him about this and–"

"Hook up?" Mikaela raised her eyebrows with a suggestive look.

". . Maybe."

"I'll say this for Jordan–it's totally going to happen."

"She would say that wouldn't she?" I giggled.

"I also know this, Bee can't ignore you. He's not capable of it. You've become a big part of his life." Before I could say anything Mikaela added. "But if he _does_ try to avoid you, I'll just talk some sense into him."

"You don't have to do that. I. . I think I know what I have to do."

* * *

 **This took much longer to write than I expected ^^;**

 **I say this a lot, but I'm sorry about the wait and my absence. Writer's block sucks. I knew what to write (with Bella accepting her feelings towards our favorite Autobot scout) but my mind just went completely blank.**

 **If this chapter was confusing to you, I'd be happy to explain: Bella finds herself thinking back on what happened with Bee and how she feels towards him which leads to her thinking. . Like _a lot_. It's like where you can't get something out of your head, like a favorite song (crappy example, I know) Mikaela calls her to talk about what happened and eventually helps the nearly distressed Bella figure out she really does like Bee. She's just been pushing away the idea of having feelings for him because of how Bee was (he basically chickened out when it came to getting closer to Bella). In reality though, her feelings remained and continued to grow up to the confession point. Sorry if this explanation sucks, I try for those who are confused. What Bella will do now, with accepting her own feelings, will all happen in the next chapter. I can assure that won't take a long time to wait for.**

 **I'll probably have a much more longer author's note in the next chapter because things are going to go down. When I say that it's not in a bad way but a good way xP**

 **P.S: I did _not_ expect a spam of reviews when I opened this site back up-like holy schnitzel! That definitely surprised me because of how inactive I became. I'm really happy to see more and new people are coming to enjoy this fanfic. Thanks for reading and reviewing, I sincerely appreciate it. This was definitely a wake up call so thanks for that XD**


	20. Reciprocate

reciprocate  
/rəˈsiprəˌkāt/  
verb  
experience the same (love, liking, or affection) for someone as that person does for oneself.

* * *

 _ **June 29th, 2009**_  
 _ **Monday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:14 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _What did I mean by 'I know what to do'? Well, I did anything and everything I possibly could to get in contact with Bee. I called and sent texts, but eventually I stopped once I realized he wouldn't answer_. _This was going nowhere. Bee was really avoiding talking with me. Since I had been running out of ideas I decided to call support and created a group phone call. The group consisted of Jordan, Julie, Mia, Mikaela, Nat, and Rachel. Thank God Mia's time zone wasn't too far ahead of ours. Since they didn't have a clue about what happened I explained everything. Needless to say they were willing to help but weren't that much help when it came to what I should do._

"So that's it?" Jordan questioned in disbelief. "You're just gonna give up?"

"I've tried _everything_ to get in contact with him." I mumbled, holding my phone close to my ear as I turned on my side. Just this once I'd like to sink away into my bed and never come back out. "No answer."

"This is like a reverse sort of situation in one of those chic flicks." Rachel spoke up. "Instead of the girl being all shy and regretful for confessing their hidden love it's the freakin' guy."

"Well he _did_ come off as pretty shy when we all first met him so I can't blame 'em." Nat said. "We can agree on that, right?" Everyone in the group convo made a sound of agreement.

"I didn't think he'd do all this though. Ignoring phone calls and text messages. . That's just flat out rude." Julie huffed.

"Did you try going by Sam's house to talk?" Jordan asked. "B's almost always there, right?"

"I did." I confirmed with a groan, embedding my fingers in my hair as I remembered the results. "Right after I went out with Mikaela, I tried going by the house but I stopped myself when I saw him driving off."

"Yikes."

"Did Sam see you?" I could almost picture the frown on Mikaela's voice as she spoke.

"Yeah. ." My eyes wandered over to the closed door of my room. "It was so damn awkward."

"It's understandable," Julie hummed. "Especially since he knows what's going on."

"I don't mean to go off topic but I don't think you should give up just yet, Bells." Mia stated. "I'm sure there's some way to get in contact with him."

"What exactly do you propose I should do then?"

"I say you should try going by the house one more time. If I were B, I can imagine going over to my best friend's house to talk about this sort of thing until it blew over–" Mia paused. "But that's just what I think."

"She could be right." Nat chimed.

Bee lives with Sam–it would make sense he'd be there. Even if I went though, something in the back of my head urged me not to.  
I shook my head, shoving that feeling aside. Despite my heart pounding from the anxiety of what was to happen, I knew I had to do this now. If I didn't I had a feeling things would just get worse.

"I'll. . Try stopping by."

"Really?"

"You shouldn't force yourself if you don't want to."

"No," I sat up, looking at my closet briefly before getting off my bed. "I have to do this."

"Do you know if Sam's home, Mikaela?" Rachel asked.

"He is." Mikaela confirmed. "He also invited me to come over at 12:50 a few minutes ago." Almost as if she was looking directly at me she also added. "I'm. . Not sure if Bee's there."

"Well it couldn't hurt to check." Jordan murmured sheepishly.

"If you're really going to go by his house be quick about it, Bells."

"I will be, I will be." I placed my phone on the top of my dresser, putting the call on speaker before going over to my closet to pick out a hoodie.

"You checked the weather, right? It's supposedly going to rain soon."

"I'm just going to put a hoodie on," I grabbed my gray loose one, slipping it over my navy blue tank top. "But if it'll make you feel better I'll bring an umbrella."

"Be careful out there, Bells."

"Come on," I laughed softly, picking up my phone and then exiting my room. I made sure to put the call off-speaker now that I was walking down the hall and heading towards the staircase. "You say that like I'm going to war. . I'll make sure to call you guys back."

"Aw what? We won't be able to listen in?" Julie whined.

"No," Mia said for me. "This is between Bella and B. We need to respect that."

"For once I'm going to pray that this goes well if you do find him." Jordan stated.

"Same."

"Thanks for talking with me for–" I checked the call time and then continued. "Forty five minutes. Wish me luck guys."

"Good luck!"

"I'm going to pray!"

"Love you, Bella!"

With that I hung up, putting my phone in the pocket of my pajama pant. 'Those guys.' I shook my head, not able to hold back the smile that lifted on my face before trotting down the stairs.

 _My mother and step-father weren't home at the time since they went out to eat with some of Connor's friends who were apparently visiting. Unfortunately I wasn't home alone, Adrien was still around. He wasn't in the kitchen as usual, he was in his room playing this new video game one of his friends let him borrow._

I stopped by the front door, getting ready to leave for a _very_ long walk as I got on my sneakers and got an umbrella from the closet. I opened the front door and turned around to look up the stairs. "Adrien," I shouted, knowing the door to his room was opened. "I'll be right back!" With that, I left the house and headed towards Sam's place.

* * *

 _ **June 29th, 2009**_  
 _ **Monday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:29 P.M**_  
–

Fifteen minutes of walking down the sidewalk and I was already feeling anxious. Even with my music playing my heart beat was still quick. What the hell would I even say to him? I came to a stop. I really didn't think this through.

'No you can't stop, Bella.' I took in a deep breath, continuing to walk. 'You can do this.'

I flinched when I felt something wet hit the tip of my nose, "What. .?" I looked up to find the source and soon saw gray clouds rolling in and darkening the once blue sky. "Aw shit. Are you serious?" I fumbled with the umbrella I had taken, soon opening it and raising it just as rain began pouring down. "Fuck."

'Great timing rain,' I picked up my pace, wanting to get out of the weather. 'You just had to start now, didn't you?'

As I walked, I found myself slowing down once I looked over to my left at the road. As I watched the cars and the water their tires splashed. Right before I could look away, my eyes landed directly on that yellow and black striped camaro driving by.

". . Bee?" I stopped in my tracks; my eyes wouldn't stop following the vehicle until I saw it come to a halt and make a U-turn. The camaro then slowly drove up beside me and parked. When the passenger door opened I took a few steps back as I saw that blonde holoform step out and close the door behind him.

I wasn't sure how to feel as soon as I saw his face. Different emotions swirled inside as I took out my earbuds and stuffed them away into my pocket with my phone; anger, awe, worry, and happiness. He was here and he wasn't running off this time.

"Hey, Bella." He greeted me in a soft voice. The rain coming down was now wetting his hair, his clothing, and even his holoform's skin. Maybe he didn't mind it because his holoform wasn't affected by it like humans were. He probably wouldn't even be cold after all this.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything; I could only look at him in astonishment. Much to both our surprises, my hold on the umbrella suddenly disappeared as it slipped out of my hands.

"Bella?" Bee looked at me now concerned before taking a few steps towards me.  
"You're going to get wet and possibly sick with this much rain. . You know that, right?"

The anger I once felt in part of my heart now vanished as I felt tears prick the corner of my eyes and begin to run down my cheeks. All I could feel now was relief and happiness. Was I _this_ happy to see his face again? To start crying?

"Oh Primus, please don't cry." Just from his tone I could tell Bee was starting to panic as he now stood in front of me and away from his vehicular form. "I was going to go to your house to apologize for what happened and for ignoring you but then I saw you walking over here so I-"

I took a step forward, closing the distance between us before wrapping my arms around his shoulders and resting my chin on his shoulder. "Sorry I. . I just really missed you, Bee–" I mumbled, my tears now coming to an end. "Even if it was for only two days."

It was quiet for a few seconds until I felt his arms move and lock around my waist as he brought me closer. ". . I'm sorry, Bella."

"For what?" I raised a brow while sniffling. "Telling me you like me?"

"For everything." He stated with a sigh. "I know I must have made things awkward after what I told you and what I did. I understand that you don't feel the same. . After all, you're a human and I'm an Autobot."

". . Seriously?"

". . Huh?"

I pulled away, looking at the now puzzled Bee. "Is _that_ what made you run off before?"

He avoided my gaze as he looked off to the side, "Yes. I knew it wouldn't work out with us being two completely different species."  
His eyes soon met mine once again. "I hope after all this we can still be frien-"

I had cut him off near the end of his sentence by kissing him. This time, at long last, _I_ made a move on him. Somehow I could hear Jordan in the distance praising me for the bold move. When I pulled away, my cheeks had been the only thing that turned color but Bee's face was entirely red. "Did _that_ convey how I feel?"

Bee began stuttering, "Y-You. . Y-You-"

I only laughed, "I like you back, idiot."

"But. . Doesn't the fact that we're-"

"Completely two different races bother me?" I finished for him, unhooking my arms from around his shoulders as he did the same with my waist. "Maybe before it did but it doesn't anymore, Bee."

"You know this isn't my true form, right?" Bee gestures over to the waiting yellow and black striped camaro parked a few inches away. "That is."

"It doesn't bother me, Bee. I like you for _you_." I stated. "Whether your other form is a human's or your original form is a giant robot it doesn't matter."

"So what you're saying is you. . Like me–"

"Mmhm."

"The fact that you're human and I'm an Autobot doesn't mean anything to you–"

"Yup."

"So you're willing to give it a try?"

God my heart was pounding so fast I had to make sure I didn't stutter as I spoke. "I-I mean if you want to then I don't see why not. ." My voice had gotten quieter after the first two words. Shit!

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You do realize even if we are in the rain I can still see your flushed face, right?"

". . Sh-Shut up." My confidence in the situation was becoming lower now that his was probably rising.

"Bella?"

"W-What now?"

He leaned forward and pressed a simple kiss to my forehead, "You're cute."

Even if there was so much rain dampening my clothes and sticking to my skin which made it feel wet I still felt warm. Bee had went on to give both my cheeks a kiss and then my lips. Just from the affection he gave to me I felt like I had been basking in the summer sun.

"Um. ." How do I even ask this sort of question? "Would you uh. ." Looking directly at him right now wasn't the best idea since I could feel myself get more nervous. "Um. ."

"Are you trying to ask me out, Bella?" Bee tilted his head, clearly amused at how I struggled to put my words together.

". . Maybe."

He laughed, "Clearly you're having a hard time doing that so I'll make this easy for you–" Right when I was about to protest he asked. "Would you be mine, Bella?"

That question had made its appearance into the conversation. Holy shit. I mean. . I didn't think I'd actually get to this point so fast, but what can I except after admitting I held the same feelings as he did? Well the response should be clear as day.

I took in a deep breath, trying once again to keep it together just as I crossed my arms as the coldness from my drenched clothing began to make itself known. "You should already know my answer." I smiled. "It's yes."

Bee grinned, "I know, I just wanted to hear you say that. Now," He scooped me up in his arms. "Let's get you back to your house. You're absolutely soaked."

"Well not completely," I shrugged before reaching over and grabbing my umbrella and closing it. There really was no point to keep it opened anymore. "I feel fine."

"That's a lie," After I picked up my umbrella he walked over to his vehicular form, the passenger door popping open as he then sat me down. "You're cold to the touch." He then closed the door before walking around and opening the door to the driver's side.

"Are you. . Not bothered by how cold I am?" I questioned, watching as the holoform got in and close the door. "I'm pretty sure my clothes are going to make this seat slightly wet."

"Don't worry, Bella. I'm not." The A.C then came on at a warm level as he then began driving down the road and towards my home. "Besides, it's just a little water. It'll dry off."

* * *

 _ **June 29th, 2009**_  
 _ **Monday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **12:44 P.M**_  
 _ **Sainte/Davis Home Residence**_

Continuous knocking on the front door made Adrien pause his game and go downstairs.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming. ." When the knocking occurred once again he shouted. "I'm coming!" Once he got to the front door, he unlocked it, opening it slightly to be surprised at the sight of his older step-sister and the blonde guy completely drenched.

"Hey, Adrien. ." Bella smiled awkwardly.

He blinked before opening the door fully, "What the hell happened to you? I thought you said you wouldn't be gone long–" He watched as the two then entered. "And didn't you bring an umbrella? You're completely soaked."

"I did, I just. ." His older step-sister rolled her shoulders. "Forgot to use it."

Adrien raised a brow as he looked the two over, "Uh-huh. ." Well that was certainly a half-assed lie, even for her. _Something_ happened. "Do you guys want a towel?"

"That would be appreciated." Bee nodded with a smile. For now, he'd have to act as if he was actually human now that he was in the presence of Bella's younger step-brother.

"Alright, just wait here then." Adrien was clearly trying to process everything as he slowly made his way back up the stairs.

"Maybe I should go get changed," Bella muttered, picking at her soggy hoodie which made a few water drops hit the ground. "I don't think a towel will do much with this case."

"I'll wait here for you then." Bee watched his human run up the stairs and where he assumed was her room. He could feel his spark hum with happiness at that; _his_ human.

Adrien soon came back down the stairs, holding out a towel for Bee. "Here you go man."

"Thank you." Bee took it from his hand, beginning to dry off his hair.

"Bella said she'll be bringing down some blankets though I'm not sure if that'll do much for you. ." Adrien muttered, noticing how the blonde was drenched as well.

"That'll be just fine." Bee assured. "I think I actually have some spare clothing in my car."

"Really?" Adrien was surprised at this. "I guess you came prepared then."

"You could say something like that," Bee chuckled before picking up the wet umbrella Bella had left carelessly on the floor. "I think I'll go grab that and change. ." He then rested the towel on his shoulder. "If that's alright with you."

"Hey. . Can you be straight with me?"

"Of course."

"Are you dating my step-sister?"

". . I am," The blonde confirmed. He felt proud to actually say that. After all, Bella was a beautiful human. "I'm quite lucky to have someone like her. She's truly one of a kind."

Adrien watched the other's expressions as he spoke of Bella before smiling just a little,  
"You really do like her, huh?"

"I do."

"Well. . All I can say is treat Bella right and we won't have any problems, dude." Maybe the guy wasn't as bad as Adrien thought originally. Then again, he was just being protective.

"Of course."

"Well I'll let you get your change of clothing," Adrien then turned around, heading back upstairs. "It was nice chatting with you."

When Bee was sure he was out of sight, he put down the umbrella where it originally was on the floor before allowing his holoform's clothing to dry in an instant. He sighed with relief; thank Ratchet for making _these_ type of adjustments to the holoform. In reality, Bee didn't have a change of clothing; that was a lie.

"Bee?" The Autobot looked over to see Bella holding a large bundle of blankets in her arms approach him.  
"Woah. . How'd you dry up so quickly?" She patted down his chest and arms with a free hand in curiosity.

"Just some perks with having an holoform," Bee looked over her as she had been busy investigating. She had changed out of her gray hoodie into a simple white graphic t-shirt with Marvel heroes on it and dark shorts. She also tied her damp hair into a low ponytail.

"Lucky." She huffed before taking a step back from him. "Well now that I'm down here with blankets would you want to just relax?"

"That sounds like a plan," He then stood beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Lead the way."

Bella shook her head before guiding him over to the couch in the living room where the two then sat. With a small smirk she tossed a blanket onto Bee's head which took him by surprise.

"Well that wasn't very nice." Bee pulled the blanket off his head, looking at the laughing Bella before wrapping himself up in the blankets he had gotten as she did the same with her own. When he noticed she wasn't paying attention to him, he picked up an extra blanket that had fallen to the floor before dropping it on top of her head.

"Hey!" It didn't take long for the blanket to be yanked off by Bella and reveal her angry pout.

"Whoops. I didn't see you there." As he laughed this time Bella only shook her head. She was unable to hold back the grin that lifted on her face as she let the blanket Bee had tossed drop back to the ground.

Bella got the remote from the coffee table after their brief blanket war, turning on the TV before putting it aside to get comfy where she was. She looked over at Bee who was now staring at the TV, scooting closer to him sneakily as he wasn't aware of her movement. She then rested her head on his shoulder. Immediately after she did that, he stole a glance at her before wrapping an arm around her and then put his cheek on the top of her head.

This was relaxing.

* * *

 _ ****Bonus****_  
 _ **June 29th, 2009**_  
 _ **Monday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **1:20 P.M**_  
 _ **Sainte/Davis Home Residence**_

The front door unlocked and soon entered Connor and Claudia as they came back from their small meet-up. The two seemed to be quite content as they entered until Claudia caught the sight of something she never thought she'd see in the living room. Both her daughter and that boy she had seen a few days ago were fast asleep together on the couch.

"Ay dios mio!" She shrieked, instantly waking the two at her loud voice. "MIJA!"

"Did you bring a boy over while we were gone?" Connor crossed his arms. "Without our permission?"

"U-Um. ." Bella looked over at Bee who only sunk away into the couch to avoid looking at her parents. She looked back at the two adults. "I uh. . I swear I have a good explanation."

* * *

 **YES WE HAVE MADE IT TO THE 20th CHAPTER! \\*^*/**  
 **Whoop whoop~! I'm so happy**  
 **Thanks for following this fanfiction's journey and loving it up to this point**  
 **Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and all that jazz. I love you guys very much.**  
 **But yes, the ship has officially sailed (I'm proud to say) uwu**  
 **As you can tell I'm not that great with romance but I try**  
 **I'm going to give you guys a taste of the BellaXBee relationship and then I swear it, on my life, we** _ **will**_ **roll into the** _ **TF2**_ **arc. We're almost there–** _ **almost**_ **. I know I said we're going into it but I wasn't exactly thinking ahead. Believe me, I'm just as excited as you are when it comes to writing that arc and posting it. The action shall return!**  
 **But yeah, thanks for sticking around and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**  
 **Future warning; updates _may_ become slower since this will be my last week of summer and I'll be back to school **  
***sad sigh***


	21. Merriment

mer·ri·ment  
ˈmerēmənt/  
noun  
gaiety and fun.

* * *

 _ **June 30th, 2009**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:14 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _Right after hooking up with Bee, I was caught with him after he escorted me back home by my mother and Connor. Perfect timing, right? When I told them why he was there, the fact that we were now dating slipped off my tongue and into the explanation. My mother fainted, and thankfully Connor caught her. Bee attempted to leave, which is understandable since I probably would have done the same in his position, but Connor stopped him. He questioned him on everything; how we met, how long we've known each other, and then when he noticed I was listening in on them he pulled him aside. Poor Bee. He left the house afterwards, having to go back to Sam, and I had a talk with my mother and Connor. Boy, you have no idea how much I wanted to put a gun to my head at that moment._

I checked my phone after having an awkward breakfast with my family. There were a number of missed calls and texts that I hadn't replied to all from yesterday. Realization hit me.

'That's right. I promised I'd call them back. .' Buuut I didn't. 'Shit.'

My thumb tapped against the screen of my phone, creating a group call and then raising it to my ear. I took in a deep breath while listening to the ringing that signaled it had been connecting, preparing myself-

"BELLA!" The scream from Julie made me flinch and pull my phone away from my ear. Yup, even I couldn't prepare for that. With a simple tap, I had it on speaker.

"Jesus, Julie." Mia dragged out a sigh.  
"The first thing you decide to do as soon as we get called by Bella is make our ears bleed?"

"Sorry, Mia." Julie quietly laughed. "I guess I just got a little excited and upset. I didn't think Bella would actually call us back."

"I was _going_ to," I stated. "Things just. . Came up."

"Well, yeah, I'd _hope_ so." Jordan huffed.  
"You went over to talk with B about these feelings you two are so conflicted about."

"I already have a feeling it went well." Mikaela hummed. Why do I have a feeling Bee told Sam and then he told her?

"Same." Rachel agreed.

"How _did_ it go, Bella?" Mia asked.

I let out a short laugh which had been a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment, "Well. ." My heart was thumping so much it suddenly made it hard for me to say anything. . That is until I could get a grasp of myself. "We. . We talked it out–"

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah?"

"And?"

"Me and Bee are. . We're uh. . We're together." I stuttered, scratching the side of my head as I waited for someone to say something.

"YES!" Jordan suddenly screeched, ending the silence. "It's about _fucking_ time!"

"Woohoo! Go Bella!" Julie cheered.

"No fair," Mia huffed, and I swear I could see visualize her pouting. "You got the cute blonde guy so easily."

"Bella's just naturally lucky." Rachel mused. "She must have her own secret charm."

"She got B so she must." Nat snickered.

 _I was glad my friends weren't with me at the time. I was blushing so much out of embarrassment. Maybe I was starting to think about it because we had just started dating, but Bee really was cute. I was lucky to have him._

"Yo you owe me money, Mia." Jordan stated.

"What? You _still_ remember that bet we made?" Mia groaned.

"Yeah, you gotta pay up because I won. I don't know how you're going to send it, but I'm sure you'll find a way."

"I'm going to hurt you when I visit, Jordan." Mia murmured after she sighed. I could hear Jordan humming happily in victory.

Before I could join back in on the conversation, there was a knock from outside my room. "Bella, your. . Boyfriend is outside." The unsettled hesitance in Connor's voice was clear as day. Figures. It wouldn't be easy getting used to that.

"Oh, alright! Thanks for telling me."

"Was that your dad?" Mikaela asked.

"Connor, yeah." I corrected, now headed out of my room, down the short length hallway, and then the stairs.

Mia let out a sigh, "We gotta work on that, Bella."

"On what?"

"I hate to be honest, but you've got _very_ clear daddy and step-daddy issues, man." Julie explained.

"Bella's got daddy and step-daddy issues?" Nat asked, puzzled with what was said.

My stomach was beginning to turn as they talked of that. But why? Why did it have to be that?

 _I probably said in the past but. . That was a topic I wanted to leave untouched. I had my reasons. . Maybe one day I'll be able to explain myself to you who are actually listening._

"I've gotta go," I spoke up curtly, now arriving at the front door. "I'll call you guys later."

"Bella, wait-" Jordan's voice clicked off as I had already clicked 'end' and left the group call.

I lowered my phone, looking at the lit up screen which showed the call had ended for me before blacking out.

 _My heart felt a bit heavy, I'll admit that much, but I did what I could to push past it. For him._

I stuffed my phone into my right jeans pocket, opening the door afterwards just as a smile shot up on my lips at the sight of the blonde. "Hey, Bee. What brings you to my abundant home?"

He returned the smile after shaking his head,  
"I figured I might as well start getting into the habit of being around you more now that we're. . Together." His eyes left mine before they awkwardly trailed back to meet my amused gaze. "I-I'm new to this type of intimacy–especially with a human being like yourself so I apologize if I do anything wrong-"

"Bee," I raised my hand, putting my pointer finger on his lip which silenced him. "It's ok." God, he was too cute. "There's no need to worry yourself over it." When I knew he was a bit calmer, I lowered my finger.

". . Really?"

"Yeah," I laughed shortly at his self-consciousness. "It's cool. Besides you're doing just fine." In order to ease his mind, I stepped forward and embraced him.

"Well if you say so then it must be true," Bee murmured, returning the hug; his holoform arms had pulled me closer and closer every second that passed as we stood like that together. "You're a smart girl."

"Hey now," I got on my tippy toes, wanting to be able to feel more of his warmth. "This isn't exactly the best time to compliment me."

". . Isn't that what a human boyfriend is supposed to do with his human girlfriend?  
To make her feel good?"

I snorted. Oh how new you are to this, Bee. "I'm not _that_ type of girlfriend, trust me." When I tried pulling away, his hold on me only secured itself even more. "Uh. . Bee?"

"I. . I enjoy being able to feel you like this," He finally said, burying his face into my shoulder. "I can sense the pulsing of your veins, the rhythmic beat of your heart, and your steady breathing. All of it proves that you're not just some part of what remains of my wild imagination. . You exist."

This Autobot. .

I smiled tenderly, staying quiet as I simply combed my fingers through his short blonde locks. "I'm right here, Bee."

"Ahem," I turned my head just enough to see Adrien standing inside the house, staring at the both of us from the open doorway. "If you're going to be all PDA, please go elsewhere."

I rolled my eyes as Bee then broke the hug. 'Way to ruin the moment, Adrien.'

"Sorry," The holoform took my hand in his gently. "I got a bit distracted. I'll be taking Bella now."

My step-brother looked between the both of us. After awkwardly staring at one another, he slowly began closing the front door. "You're just lucky mom or dad wasn't here to see that~" Click.

"Well," I turned my gaze away from where Adrien stood and towards Bee. "Where exactly _are_ we going?"

"Nothing special," He replied, scratching his head. "Just over to Sam's house since your parents will obviously murder me if I tried being with you alone."

I fought back a laugh at what the Autobot said, "That's unfortunately true."

* * *

 _ **June 30th, 2009**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **12:33 P.M**_  
 _ **Witwicky Residence**_

 _Driving all the way to where Sam was felt different than the many times before. Of course, this was probably because of the fact me and Bee were now in a relationship. It would take some time to get use to, especially since I hadn't been with someone in a while, let alone a giant alien transforming robot._  
 _Oh boy._

"Oh there she is!" Sam's mother, Judy, stepped out of her home to greet me with open arms and a bright look. "The girl of the hour!"

"Hi, Mrs. Witwicky." I was a little hesitant, but went into her arms. We both hugged for a split second before she got some distance and put her hands on my shoulders.

"I heard about you and Bee's recent hookup."

A forced smile raised on my face as I stared at her. "Did you now?" I looked over at the holoform. "Word travels fast, huh?"

He only grinned innocently with a shrug in response.

"Now, Bee may not be my son and he may be a gigantic transforming robot," She laughed, taking my hands in hers. "But I give you both my blessing."

"Ah, well thank you, Mrs. Witwicky." I nodded.

" _Judy_." Thank God Mr. Witwicky followed her. He went over to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and coaxing her to release my hands as she eventually did. "I think these two want some alone time, don't you think?"

"Aw come on now, Ron-"

"Let's go, come on." Mr. Witwicky proceeded to lead his wife back inside their house. "Also, you know the rules Bee–no walking on my lawn." He then left me and Bee alone together outside.

"How in the hell did everyone find out so quickly?" I looked at questionably Bee who stepped to stand beside me.

"My guess is that they either listened in on me with Sam and Mikaela talking about it, or Sam caved in and told them."

"I'm gonna go with possibility two. That seems more likely." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.

"You're not mad at me for telling them are you?" Bee gave me a pout, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"No, I'm not." I pulled out my phone, not surprised to see long apology text messages from the group.

"Belllaaaa~"

"What is i-" I let out a squeak as I felt shots of water begin to spray at us from below. Sprinklers?! "Oh my god!"

Bee was quiet until I began jumping around the grass frantically. It began with a small snicker which eventually grew into loud laughter towards me.

"Don't laugh at me!" I practically shrieked, trying to keep what clothing remained untouched by the water not soaked.  
"We need to get out of he-RE!"

As I was stuffing away my phone to get it out of harm's way, I was picked up by Bee with ease. "You're so cute."

"Bee, I'm going to get soaked!" The upset feeling that came from the dampness of my clothing soon faded into giggles as he spun me around. " _Bee_!"

"This is actually fun," He gave my frame a squeeze, soon slowing down. "Let's get soaked together, Bells!"

"No, oh my god!"

 _God my stomach hurt so much that day–you have no idea, ha. I hadn't laughed that hard in a while, and especially over something as silly as getting soaked by the Witwicky's sprinklers with the holoform of an Autobot. It was so weird, but I enjoyed myself. Don't worry, we didn't stay out there forever getting wet._  
 _I would have gotten a cold, plus, Mr. Witwicky was not happy._

* * *

 _ **June 30th, 2009**_  
 _ **Tuesday**_  
 _ **Normal**_  
 _ **12:42 P.M**_  
 _ **Witwicky Residence**_

From inside, Ron and Judy watched the pair closely from the window to the side of the back door. It had been Ron who had turned on the sprinklers since the teens didn't step off his lawn. The point of doing so had been so they would scurry away and off the grass, but it was clear the two were instead having a good time.

"Oh great," Judy sighed, raising her hand and letting it drop back to her side. "Now you're making me like her with Bee even more."

"How could they possibly be enjoying themselves?" Ron was baffled with his results. "They're getting sprayed with shots of water!"

"Oh forget it, Ron." Judy huffed. "Your plan failed and now they're having fun together."

Ron shook his head in dismay and defeat. There was no getting those two off.  
"Well," He and his wife looked at each other. "Looks like I'll be doing lawn work."

Thud.

The married couple looked back to see the two had somehow disappeared. Curiously, they raised their heads to get a better look. The two were sprawled out on the grass, laughing with one another.

Ron let out a heavy sigh, "At least it's not as bad as having alien footprints and a smashed fountain." He grumbled, turning off the sprinklers.

* * *

 **YO! It's been a while! :D**  
 **I've been on a** _ **long**_ **hiatus, I know. Like. . Four months? Yikes. . I'm so sorry!**  
 **I don't know if many of you are still here since I had been gone for quite some time and some of you could be busy with school like moi.**  
 **The TF5 teaser trailer recently got released and BOY**  
 **YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HYPED I AM LIKE AAAAA**  
 **YOU SHOULD GIVE ME YOUR OPINION ON IT CUZ I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE TO FANGIRL WITH RIP**  
 **Plus, when I watched it, it was like a surge of inspiration knocked my writer's block out of the way.**  
 **AAC is back on track and I'll be writing away at the next chapter~**  
 **This chapter I actually had in mind since the start of my writer's block, I just sort of. . Didn't write it out ^^;**  
 **I mean, I had most of it written, I just kinda stopped. Whoops.**  
 **Well, at least I posted it~**  
 **I'll be re-writing and re-publishing the other two stories I have on my account, so for those who read them–once you see them disappear you'll know why.**  
 **Anywho~ It's good to be back and I can't wait to speak with you all again \^^**


	22. Peculiar

pe·cu·liar

pəˈkyo͞olyər/

 _adjective_

strange or odd; unusual

* * *

 _ **July 1st, 2009**_  
 _ **Wednesday**_  
 _ **Isabella**_  
 _ **11:39 P.M**_  
 _ **Home Residence**_

 _After spending my entire day with Bee and my other friends who decided to tag along for the heck of it, morning soon turned into afternoon which then turned into night. It felt short for a day, but I guess that's how some people feel with their own days when they're having a good time. I passed out almost immediately, and I think it was around 10? I dunno, but let's just say going to sleep that night turned on a light to the darkness of things which were meant to be hidden from me._

It was dark in my current dream, which wasn't unusual. For some reason, it felt different from all the rest. There was an unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach as I could hear my voice-a younger version of it speak.

" _Daddy? What is all of this? Are these. . People?"  
_

" _Bella!" Soft panting from my father caught my ears, as well as approaching footsteps that I could only assume was his. "You weren't supposed to see all this. What are you doing out here, sweetie?"_

" _I didn't want to wait for you to come back with that weird lady. She creeps me out with her eyes."  
_

" _Hey now, you shouldn't say that about daddy's associates. There helping me get you those dolls and stuffed animals, and some nice jewelry for mommy."_

" _Oh. . Ok. I'm sorry daddy."_

" _It's alright, Bells. Just. . Be careful with what you say when I bring you to work with me, ok?"_

" _Ok daddy. ."  
_

Just like that, the strange dream ended and I woke in a startling sweat. My breathing was heavy, almost as if I had a nightmare. . But it wasn't. It was just. . Blank.

I rubbed my eyes, leaning forward as I collected my thoughts. "Just what on Earth was that?" I asked myself quietly, my eyes fluttering to make sure my vision was crystal clear and nothing was in them. "Why couldn't I see anything?"

"Bad dream?"

Taken off guard by the new voice, I scrambled out of my bed, clutching my blankets close to my chest and grabbing a hair straightener that Jordan left off the top of my dresser and pointing it towards the source. The blonde holoform who stood near my bedroom window put his hands up.

"Woah, easy there, Bella. "

I blinked before lowering the hair straightener and looking at my boyfriend questioningly. "What the hell, Bee? Why are you-"

"You could say I 'helped myself in'."

"You helped yourself in?" I raised an eyebrow shiftily.

"I just became concerned when I noticed your heart rate pick up. Of course, you were still sleeping and it may sound strange considering I could be a weirdo to you now but-"

"How did you even get in here? That's all I wanna know."

"You're. . Not upset?"

"I mean coming into my own house without asking any of the residents is really weird but I can ignore that for now. Answer the question please."

"Well if you must know I sneaked in rather easily since your step-brother forgot to lock the garage door."

That careless little-He must have forgotten when he lazily went inside through the garage late at night yesterday. ". . Mother fuc-"

"No need to get angered with Adrien, I made sure to lock the door on my way in."

"Does anyone know you're in here?"

"Just you. . And I'd prefer to keep it that way seeing as your parents and younger step-brother are fast asleep."

"Ah," Realizing I still had a tight grip on my blankets, I let them go and they landed straight down on the floor in a second. "Well, I guess you can't get enough of seeing me since you probably stayed parked outside even after you dropped me off." I snickered.

The holoform's cheeks darkened, "I. . I have a terrible tendency to wanting to be near you. It's easy to ignore sometimes, but I guess I couldn't this time. Instead of feeling shameful I'm grateful seeing as you were having a bad dream."

"It wasn't really a bad dream. ." I looked down, taking note of the fact that I was still in the outfit I was in when I went out with everyone. Ugh. "I'd say it was an odd one that took me off guard."

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"I couldn't see anything, it was all black. . But I do remember being able to hear my father's voice."

"Him. .?" Bee looked surprised at what I said.

"Yeah, and then I heard my own voice, but it was probably when I was younger."

"Can you recall where you were?"

I closed my eyes, concentrating on finding something in my head, but all I got was a sharp pain in my head. I flinched, hissing softly. "I tried but. . This headache suddenly appeared. Maybe it was nothing."

"Easy now," Bee walked over to me, putting an arm around me as he had me sit down on the edge of my bed. "It seems this may be a memory of yours."

"A memory?"

"Perhaps, but it seems difficult for you to bring it back to mind. Of course, this isn't strange seeing as this may have happened when you were a child."

"That's true. ."

"Perhaps we can try again tomorrow," Bee suggested. "It's late and I wouldn't want you to put a strain on your mind at this hour."

"Maybe that would be best. ." I took in a deep breath and released it, nodding as the pain eased away. "Yes, it would be."

"Good," The blonde holoform got up. "Hopefully you won't have another strange dream when I'm away."

"You're leaving?"

"I have to, I don't want to risk the possibility of having your family catch me in bed with you." His entire face turned red, letting out an awkward cough. "I-I don't mean in _that_ way. . Just so you know."

"I know that. ." When relief washed over his face, I commented. "We're not at that stage yet anyways."

And his face turned bright red instantly. "B-Bella!"

I giggled, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry~ You're just such an easy target for teasing."

He pouted, his blue eyes doing their best to not meet mine. "I'll get you back for that later." He grumbled.

"You can try, but I doubt you'll be able to." I watched him with pursed lips as he then stood in front of me, leaning down and kissing me. Unfortunately for me, it continued, and I found myself putting my hand on his cheek to deepen it as he tilted his head.

 _Ah, kisses like these made me melt, er, kissing sessions. We didn't do these in public, mainly because moments like these were meant for just the both of us. They never escalated back then, thank god for that, and when I needed air I'd pull away to catch it, only to get back into it. Bee seemed to enjoy having my lips on his, though it wasn't his actual mouth. He was learning and improving and it was noticeable. I wasn't complaining though~_

* * *

 _ **July 1st, 2009**_  
 _ **Wednesday**_  
 _ **Normal**_

 _ **3:17 A.M**_  
 _ **Unknown**_

Inside of an abandoned warehouse, two figures were seen out in the open. However, one was more visible than the other. There were others, but they chose to stay in the darkness unlike the one that stood out.

"It looks like she's beginning to remember." Someone murmured.

"Piece by piece, it will all come together for young Isabella."

"Is she truly remembering, my lady?" One figure in the darkness with glowing red eyes shifted its head, looking at the red-haired woman known as Ruby who was sitting down on a crate with her legs crossed.

"She is," Ruby confirmed, looking over her red painted nails. "It seems Antonio failed with his plan to wipe her head clean."

"So, the girl is back to being a threat?"

". . Yes," Ruby's crimson eyes shimmered in the darkness. "Yes, she is." She smirked. "We have to make sure to give her our. . Warmest welcome back once she is fully aware."

"Consider it done."

* * *

 **Oh boy, it's been a month. I have major writing block so you can blame that .**

 **Good news is that we are currently three chapters away from the TF2 arc. I know-** _ **FINALLY**_ **!**

 **I'll do my best to get 'em done so then I can overcome my writer's block and update constantly when I move into the TF2 arc.**

 **Oh! And if you want a face reference for Isabella just search up 'Dilshad Vadsaria'**

 **I find her to be a good face claim for her so yus**

 **I don't have one for Bee's holoform, but maybe I'll find one later. . Hopefully**

 **Anyways~ I hope you enjoyed**

 **Sorreh it wasn't the best.**


	23. Tranquil

ˈtraNGkwəl/  
adjective  
adjective: tranquil  
free from disturbance; calm.

* * *

 ** _July 2nd, 2009_**  
 ** _Thursday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _9:45 A.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

I twitched, awakening from my deep sleep. My eyes opened just a centimeter before closing again. I yawned, and then attempted to stretch.

 _Waking up the next morning felt normal; comfy mattress, nice blankets, and a cozy pillow to rest and turn my head on . . That is until I felt unfamiliar warmth surrounding me._

". . Hm?" I forced my eyes to investigate the source, and that was when I saw a mess of blonde hair over a recognizable holoform from the back. What was he still doing here? I lifted my hand, embedding my fingers in his locks and giving a gentle caress. "Bee." I called softly.

"Mmm?" He began moving, showing that he wasn't just a figment of my tired imagination. . Or dream for that matter.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh. ." He turned so he was facing me, his bright blue eyes reflecting the same amount of sleepiness I could only assume was in my own. That was when he blinked rapidly, waking himself up in the process before sitting up. "Oh!"

Not being able to rise or have enough energy to react in the same manner as him, I just yawned, "Well good morning to you too."

"W-We. ." Bee began stuttering, his face turning a bright shade of red. "W-We're in a bed together–yours."

"Yeah. ." Rubbing my eyes, I forced myself to sit up. After doing so I positioned myself so I could face him. "I think we may have fallen asleep together."

"How can you act so casual about this?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Bella we're in your bed together!"

"Is something odd about that?"

"Don't you think we're moving at a fast pace with this relationship?"

"No," I leaned forward, thumping my head on his chest. "It's not weird to fall asleep together, Bee." His innocence to this had me laughing quietly. "There's no need to feel strange."

". . Really?"

"Yeah," Feeling his comforting hands run through my hair made me emit a sigh of content. "You're actually very warm."

"Well. . The holoform was designed to be human-like." He chuckled, easing up as the conversation topic changed. "It wouldn't be strange if I had a heart beat similar to a humans now would it?"

"No." It was faint, but I could hear his spark pulsing with life, and I turned my head so I could get a better listen. When I did that it became louder and it hit me with a brand new intensity from its warmth. ". . Hearing your life source thump at a human pace is nice."

"I'm glad you enjoy the sound. ." He trailed off, adding in a soft voice. "It beats for you."

"Does it?"

"Yeah," He shakily laughed after confirming. "It's strange. . I've never felt this sort of spike in my spark. Ratchet's told me about it in descriptive details. . But I didn't think it would feel so-"

"Refreshing?"

"That and. . Enjoyable."

Though it was quiet between us I didn't mind. This moment of staying close to one other was something pleasant. Somehow I could feel his spark trying to reach out for me. Strange.

My eyes closed as I had become comfortable, that is until he pushed me back. I squeaked, looking at him from the position I was in.  
"Bee, what the-" When I attempted to get up, he hovered over me.

 _His eyes stared directly at my face for what felt like hours, silently at that. The longer he did it made me morph into an apple. Not literally but–er I'm sure you get the point._

"Bee," I squirmed, trying to get him to understand how strange I felt like this. I turned my head, trying to hide my face. "This position is a little-"

"Wow," I peeked at him from the corner of my eye as he spoke. "You do look even lovelier like this."

Oh boy, there are those sweet words of his. God I never know how to take those without becoming a shade of red. ". . Er. . T-Thanks-"

The sound of the door opening made me snap out of whatever lovey daze I was in and I sat up, unfortunately bopping foreheads with Bee. "Ouch."

"Ow." The holoform pulled away to get some distance, rubbing his forehead. "Bella what in the world-"

I pushed Bee off of me while he was still off guard, especially once I caught the sight of who exactly was at the door. His body wasn't entirely off of mine, in fact his stomach to his waist were on my lap.

Adrien was the source of the intrusion. He was there just staring at his phone screen until he began to look up. "Hey Bella, dad made some pan-OH MY GOD WHY IS HE IN YOUR BED?!" He screamed, pointing towards the blonde.

"I. . Uh. . We. ." My lips quivered and I lowered my head in defeat with a quiet whine. What explanation or excuse could I possibly come up with for this position?

* * *

 ** _July 2nd, 2009_**  
 ** _Thursday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _10:12 A.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

 _I remember it so clearly, the awkward silence that clouded the kitchen as my family sat together eating breakfast with Bee who had 'nerve-wracked' written across his holoform's face. Connor was gazing down at his toast and sunny side up eggs while eating it, but I could guess he was giving a death-glare towards my boyfriend. So much for wining over dear old step-father's trust; I probably lost my privilege to do just about anything with him after Adrien spilled the beans. Freakin' tattle tail. My mother, on the other hand, seemed a bit more composed, which was surprising to say the least since I'm almost 100000% sure she'd scream in Spanish if she had bee the one to caught me and Bee like that. She drank her coffee, eyes wandering from each one of of us, until she'd go back to eating her own breakfast._

"Bella?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Would you care explaining why your boyfriend was. . In the position he was with you?" My mother asked. Connor stopped eating once she did and I felt small as he stared in my direction.

I looked at her without saying anything for a moment as I was chewing on a piece of the chocolate chip pancake Connor made. They were pretty good for homemade; it was as if he was a chef behind the scenes."Ok," I put down my fork. "I _know_ this may sound unbelievable but I swear it's not what you think."

"Really?" Connor arched an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Yes really," I sighed aggravated. "Unlike most men in the world, Bee's a gentleman. He wouldn't move at such a fast pace, trust me."

"I-I wouldn't try to do anything so intimately with your daughter so early into our relationship." Bee lowered his head. "I am new to this concept and I just became curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat now didn't it?" Adrien commented under his breath.

" _Adrien_." Connor gave his son the look as he had heard what he said.

"Sorry, sorry."

"I'm curious is this. . Your first relationship?" My mother questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Yes, Ms. Sainte." He nodded, raising his head just a little so he could make eye contact with my mother. "In my world, dating isn't something that's considered due to certain circumstances. . But my perspective on it all changed when I met Bella. She's a kind and brave soul that any man would be lucky to win over–" Bee turned his gaze towards me, a smile that always made my heart skip a beat on his face. "Thankfully I was that man."

'I know I'm a lucky human.' I thought, smiling in return and moving my hand over to his to hold. In response he intertwined our fingers, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Aww," My mother beamed, looking at the both of us. "How sweet."

Connor eyed Bee, probably not convinced fully yet. "Maybe your intentions weren't ill, but I better not hear about or even _see_ you two in that type of position. Ever. Got it?"

"Of course, sir."

 _I wanted to sigh in relief so badly right then and there. Bee dodged a bullet. If Connor didn't decide to give him mercy, he wouldn't be returning to home any time soon._

The look on Adrien's face made it hard not to grin. He was so shocked. "Wha- Are you serious?"

"What?" Connor glanced at him as he went back to eating his pancakes.

"He was on top of her, Dad! If I hadn't walked in there something might have happened!"

"Drop it, you know your step-sister isn't like that in relationships."

"It's very cute seeing you being so protective of her, Adrien." My mother mused.

"Psh," Adrien crossed his arms. "I'm not being protective, I'm just stating the facts."

I snorted, picking up my fork with my empty hand to stick into the pancake. "Thanks, bro."

"Shut up."

* * *

 ** _July 2nd, 2009_**  
 ** _Thursday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _7:21 P.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

 _The rest of day was spent not really doing much. Jordan stopped by to see Adrien, not solely of course seeing as we're best friends. Me and Bee talked for hours, sometimes downstairs and upstairs. We were all over the place except outside basically, ha. At some point I taught him the basics in what to know about a healthy functioning romantic human relationship and then he talked of romantic Autobot relationships. After gathering all that information, I said the two were somewhat similar in some aspects. I hoped that maybe after speaking of romance he got an idea and felt less. . Inexperienced, then again who could blame him for being like that? His life was surrounded by the war between Autobots and Decepticons._

"So. . This position I put us in–" Bee secured his arms around my waist, pulling me in close to his chest. "This is defined as spooning?"

"Yes." I put my hands over his as best as I could.

"And in the morning I was technically the little spoon?"

"Technically speaking, yeah."

 _Bee wanted to end the day with. . Trying sleeping positions in my bed. He said it felt nice before when he woke up. . I. . Won't say what else he said after that. I-It's not inappropriate but. . It's too cheesy._

"I almost feel bad you were curled up against my back." He murmured. "It's almost like I locked you out from getting much warmth."

"Well–" I unwinded our fingers from one another, turning myself around to face him. "This is a way you can apologize." As I raised my head, the tip of my nose poked his neck softly which made him shiver. "Just. . Let me stay with you in this position."

"I. ." Bee was at a loss of words, probably shaken from the new feeling that briefly rushed through his holoform, but locked his arms around my waist anyways. "S-Sure."

Not wanting him to feel too uncomfortable, I rested my head on his shoulder, enjoying his warmth. ". . Sorry if that was weird."

"No it's alright," He ran his fingers through my hair. "Your intentions weren't dirty."

I laughed after he said that, "Dirty. . I wouldn't think of going there right now–" Letting out a sigh of content, I became comfortable. "Besides. . I like things the way they are right now. Though you were born with metal and a spark, you are an amazing person. I've. . Honestly never felt so content being with someone so close then I do with you."

I could hear the heart in place of his spark in his holoform's chest beating fast once I finished. My eyes closed shut when I felt his lips press against the top of my head. ". . You are truly a one of a kind human being, Bella." He took in a deep breath and let it go shortly after. "Thank you for letting me in."

"Correction," I gazed up at him with a grin.  
"I should be thanking _you_ for letting me in."

He smiled in amusement silently, giving a kiss to my forehead. "You're too kind."

"For you always~"

* * *

 **I haven't updated in two months .**  
 **My freaking bad–I wanted to make this chapter lengthy compared to the last and I was also working on school stuff and other fanfiction stuff**  
 **My schedule's so packed it's not even funny**  
 **I gotta update some other works on my other account bc I haven't in a while for them rip**  
 **Have some Bella and Bee fluff, ofc there will be a lot of that in the future but it'll get 100000x fluffier**  
 **Fluff is life.**  
 **Anywho~ Two more chapters to go until we enter the TF2 arc**  
 **Aw ye!**  
 **So close I can taste the update rolls! w**  
 **I enjoyed TF2 a lot so ye**  
 **If anyone's seen the latest TF5 TV spot and preview then you already know I'm lovin' that Izzy content**  
 **She's so brave and smol! I love it!**  
 **The hype for TF5 has never been more real than it is now.**  
 **Till next time, hopefully soon, I'll see ya'll later**  
 **P.S: Isabella's birthday is coming up~**  
 **Not soon, but it's in May so ye**


	24. Necessity

ne·ces·si·ty  
nəˈsesədē/  
noun  
1.  
the fact of being required or indispensable.

* * *

 ** _July 3rd, 2009_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _3:13 P.M_**  
 ** _Bane's Repair Shop_**

 _Ah yes tomorrow was the holiday most Americans stand proudly for; Independence Day. When I say proudly I mean either they get extremely wasted, chow down on some classic BBQ, spend time with family out in the backyard, have a good time and even light off some of the many items used: fireworks, firecrackers or sparklers. It was really up to them to pick their poison ha. For the many Fourth of Julys me and Mikaela spent we had one of her dad's friends collect us all the items I listed, we'd set them off a bit further out of the abandoned railway and just watch the bright lights that shimmered for only a moment together. I sound really cheesy when saying all that don't I? Well a better word would be sentimental but that's not important. I received my pay-check the morning of that day before the holiday and Mikaela got a little something from her father for her hard work at the shop as well. I know I don't speak of working much but nothing really goes on over at the bakery. In case you were curious Maria is doing fine, customers come in once in a while and the bakery makes cash. When I told her about me and Bee she was so happy and gave us both her blessing and saying, "Love is a gift." You can only guess how Bee responded after hearing that when he came to pick me up. Anyways back to the main topic due to me getting sidetracked in all that. I usually took the initiative of going over to the Bane Repair Shop, there we would look over the amount of money we had on us and decide if we could re-create our own Independence Day for another year._

"Do you think this'll cover it all?" Mikaela inquired as we stared down at the dollar bills we held in our hands.

I nodded, "I think so."

"You think?" When we looked at each other she stared at me questionably, maybe even doubtful.

"It depends on the dealer's prices for those things." I shrugged. As I noticed her father walking by to probably grab a tool I grinned mischievously and continued on. In Mr. Banes presence I enjoyed sliding him into the conversation. "Plus it also depends on how much your dad or his friend is willing to add."

"Well hello to you too, Izzy." Mr. Banes muttered eliciting a laugh from me. As I suspected he rummaged through one of the many tools boxes he owned. "It's been a while since I've seen you hangin' around here. How's Claudia been?"

"She's been well, Mr. Banes." I beamed as both me and his daughter glanced over at him. "Sorry we haven't kept in touch."

"Nah it's alright, I know Claudia's got her own things to deal with still. I'm just glad to see you both growing together to be fine young women."

" _Dad_." Mikaela hissed through her teeth in embarrassment.

"Alright alright I'm leaving." We watched Mr. Banes pick up the tools he needed before exiting. "Fork the money over once you girls know you have enough, ok?"

"Yeah of course, dad." She looked back at me with a brief raise of her shoulders and a smile after I handed her the amount I had on me. "I think it's enough."

"Probably is." Mikaela put the money away in her left front pant pocket before putting a strand of her hair behind her ear. She looked at me with an opened smile slowly appearing. "Y'know I don't get to see you as much as I use to."

"You don't?" I raised an eyebrow. "I usually see you and Sam together when I go check on Bee."

She snorted about my obliviousness to the topic, "That's not what I'm trying to talk about. You and Bee have been together _a lot_ as of recently."

"Well yeah I think that's what couples are suppose to do when they're actually near each other." A brief awkward laugh escaped my lips as my gaze went to the side. I couldn't help the fact that my cheeks dusted red when I saw her smile growing. "Sorry if I'm doing it wrong."

"I'm guessing Bee's been pretty insistent on being near you. Sam's told me about his needy tendencies since the hook up."

"And I thought girls were suppose to be like that." We shared a laugh at my own comment. "I don't mind it though, it's cute."

"An Autobot wanting to be near his human," She nodded her head at the thought. "It _does_ sound pretty adorable. Do you find you always have the time to be around him?"

"Not always," I scratched the side of my head. "I sometimes find myself busy with something and Bee'll find something to entertain him till I'm finished."

"Seems like you've got Bumblebee wrapped around your little finger, Bells."

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes with a knowing grin. Maybe I did but he also had me hooked. "How's it going with you and Sam?"

"Same old same old," Mikaela shrugged before raising her eyebrows suggestively with a bite of her lip. "We're getting to a certain point where I hope those three words'll be said."

It took me a moment or so to process what she was implying before my jaw nearly dropped with the most open smile I've ever had, " _No_." Her laugh confirmed it as I covered my mouth in shocked delight for her. "You're not kidding, right? This better not be a joke."

"No Bella it's not." Mikaela snickered at my reaction. "I think he'll be saying it soon."

"That's great!" I clapped my hands together very quietly as to not make the other workers at the shop turn their heads and give us a strange look. "It's about freakin' time. You guys have been together for a while now I'd expect him to say it before I get involved."

"You know Bee wouldn't let you hurt Sam since it's his job to make sure no harm comes to him."

"Well he'll have to make an exception both because I'm his human girlfriend and I'm just doing my duty as your best friend."

"Maybe~ Or he'll have to do _something_ to prevent you from beating up Sam." Mikaela gave me a certain look that made my face turn entirely red.

"M-Mikaela no!" As I gave her a light shove she laughed at my fuming-from-embarrassment face. "Why would you even-"

"Come on, I know you've at least thought about it once." She poked the tip of my nose with her pointer finger before I scrunched it up. "You gotta wonder what it's like to have an alien lusting after you."

I crossed my arms, pursing my lips while trying to regain my composure. "I try not to think about it, especially because it's _just_ the beginning of our relationship _and_ it's his first."

She put her arm around my shoulders with a sigh, "Alright alright I won't tease, but if you two _do_ go that far you have to give me details."

"Mikaela I swear to God."

* * *

 ** _July 3rd, 2009_**  
 ** _Friday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _3:33 P.M_**  
 ** _Abandoned Railway_**

 _I endured an embarrassing conversation as you may have already seen. Thankfully I was able to slide myself out of that picture in that repair shop and into a new one with the abandoned railway. When I was walking to it I got a call from Jordan regarding Fourth of July plans and how she would spend it with Adrien. Yuck. She tried inviting me but I declined since I had my own plans and I didn't want to intrude on whatever they had in store for one another. I decided that when I got home I'd give a call to Nat, Julie, and maybe even Rachel to talk about their Fourth of July plans. After all of that I would try video chatting with Mia. Mikaela wasn't wrong when she pointed out she didn't see me as much, most of my time was focused on Bee._

"So this'll go there and this'll go here. ." I spoke to myself quietly as I pointed at some spaces in the field away from the rusted train tracks. I pictured where everything would go in the open space as if it was already tomorrow. "Yeah, looks good."

"Did you come out here to talk to yourself?"

I released a shriek at the sudden voice behind me, whirling around and readying myself to kick and punch only to find Bee's holoform with an amused smirk. "B-Bee what the hell?!"

"Did I scare you?" He chuckled as I gave him a soft punch to the chest.

"Yes, yes you did! Now what are you doing here? I didn't even tell you where I was."

"I got a hint from Mikaela when I went to her family repair shop to drop her off at Sam's place. Are you planning for that human holiday?"

"For the Fourth of July, yes."

"Would you mind explaining it to me?"

"What the Fourth of July?" I looked at him incredulously while he nodded. I turned away, crossing my arms as I thought of a good explanation. "Well it's a day we Americans celebrate the winning of our independence from Great Britain years and years ago."

" **Sounds interesting**."

I turned around and gave him a small grin, "So you finally decided to transform out here." When he crouched down to my level and gave a few chirps in response I stepped forward. I reached out and gave his metallic cheek a pat. "It's about time."

" **I - scanned - the area - beforehand.** " He explained as he pointed in every direction with one of his digits. " **No one's around.** "

"Way to sound ominous about it." I snickered. "I totally feel safe around you."

" **You have no reason - to be afraid - of me.** " Bumblebee rolled his optics before they landed back on me. " **I would never - try to - hurt you**." His digit reached out and brushed against the side of my cheek gently. The cool feeling calming as I expected it to be.

"I know," I smiled, putting a hand over his digit. "And I'd never try to hurt you either, Bee."

His human like glowing blue optics reflected happiness before he lowered his finger and leaned towards me. His metal forehead tapped against mine as I put my hand on the side of his metallic cheek once again. He closed his optics, making a content sound similar to purring as I closed my eyes.

"Tomorrow will be our first Fourth of July together y'know?" He chirped knowingly in response as I continued. "I can't wait to spend it with you, love bug."

It wasn't surprising when he pulled away from me, whirring in complete surprise at the new nickname. " **Love - bug?** "

"It's a nickname I sort of came up with earlier on for you." I smiled as he lowered his helm towards the ground and began rumbling with laughter. "What? Too cheesy?"

" **I quite like it actually.** " He looked up at me with a delighted expression on his face. " **Thank you - Bella.** "

"Eh, no need to thank me. There aren't many unique nicknames to come up with that sound so befitting for an alien robot but I was able to." I spoke proudly.

" **I'll have to see - if I can find - a unique - nickname - that can - fit you - then.** "

"There aren't many out there but I'll wish you luck with that, captain." I playfully saluted him.

" **I'll find it in no time. Trust me.** " He then scooped me up carefully and nuzzled me affectionately with his face. I couldn't resist giggling as he did so. " **I'm fast - when it comes to - research.** "

"I bet, you _are_ apart of an advanced alien race after all."

 _I had a feeling tomorrow would be one of the greatest holidays spent with him. Do I sound too optimistic or hopeful for that?_

* * *

 **IT'S FELT LIKE FOREVER YO-**  
 **How's everyone been? Good I hope ^^**

 **I'm a few days late on this but happy one year anniversary to this fanfiction! \^o^/ This will be a series I hope many of you enjoy and follow with because it is going to get intense. Thank you for your support and reviews and just taking the time out of your day to read this.**

 **I'm posting this chapter on the last day of my spring break (rip me because I don't want to return to school and be stressed ;u;)**

 **But aye the next chapter will be the last and then on to TF2**  
 **It's. About. Time.**  
 **I'm including this arc because once we get into all that action there won't be much cute fluffiness from my cinnamon rolls**  
 **Thanks for reading my dudes!**  
 **Next month on the 21st will be our beloved protagonist's birthday and the first year anniversary of this fanfic~**


	25. Holiday

hol·i·day  
ˈhäləˌdā/  
noun  
1.  
a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done.

* * *

 ** _? 2000_**  
 ** _?_**  
 ** _Normal_**  
 **?**

 _A young Isabella held her father's hand while clutching her teddy bear close. They walked down a pathway together to somewhere. . But where was unknown. Her big brown eyes wandered from the people who were sitting down on medical beds in their own designated sections. Her lip twitched uncomfortably before she glanced at her father and asked, "Why are they looking at me like that, daddy?"_

 _"Looking at you like what, sweetheart?"_

 _"Like I'm a scary monster." She murmured. "Am I a scary monster?"_

 _"What? That's utter nonsense, sweetie. You're not a monster, you're a little girl."_

 _"But I hear them talking about me when they think I'm asleep." Isabella responded._

 _"What do you think you hear?" She could see her father tense up for only a second but relax as soon as they made eye contact._

 _"They talk about using me as some kind of weapon against something." Her eyebrows furrowed as she attempted to recall the conversation but failed to. She turned her head away. "I don't want to hurt anyone."_

 _"You won't, Bella." Antonio carefully plucked his daughter up from the ground and held her close as they approached their destination. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking back at everything they passed. "As long as I'm here they won't use you as anything. . You can live the life of a normal girl like your mother wanted."_

 _"Will mommy be there too then?" She inquired hopefully._

 _". . Yes. . Yes she will be."_

* * *

 ** _July 4th, 2009_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _4:40 P.M_**  
 ** _Abandoned Railway_**

 _The strange dream which decided to project itself in my mind the day our entire country celebrated its freedom ended when my eyes opened. Instead of that weird eerie hallway I saw in the vision of my child self I saw the blue sky with some clouds floating by here and there. If I remember correctly I laid down on the grass and took a quick snooze without Mikaela noticing._

'What the hell was that?' I blinked and squinted at the brightness of the sun before covering my eyes with a smack of my hand on my face. I couldn't remember and even if I tried to it just hurt my brain. "Ow." A whirred bundle of laughter made me lift my head and turn to see Bumblebee laying down on the opposite side of me. I narrowed my eyes and pouted in embarrassment before huffing out, "Shut up."

 _Oh yeah, Bumblebee was there as well. He eased up on the idea of using his actual form at the junkyard instead of the holoform which pleased both me and Mikaela to say the least. Bee said the other Autobots would try making an appearance at our own personal celebration of the holiday without the NEST director noticing. From what I heard the guy in charge was a real pain in the ass._

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Mikaela came into view, looking down at me from above as she covered the sun's bright rays. "I see you finally decided to wake up."

"Do me a favor and just stay in that spot." A half-smile appeared on my face as she scoffed in amusement.

"We still need to finish figuring out where everything's going for tonight, Bella." She had a look of thought about what she was going to say before finally commenting. "You _both_ aren't contributing much to this."

"Aw, Mik-" Me and Bee sat up, watching her walk away from the two of us.

" **Come on, man!** " Bumblebee whined, but Mikaela didn't bother looking back at either of us.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair for a moment, blowing a raspberry before contemplating on how to help my best friend. "Alright," I prepared myself to stand up and walk over to Mikaela. "Time to get up."

" **Indeed**." Bumblebee offered his pointer digit for me to use to get up and when I did he watched me with his optics to make sure I got up carefully.

"I thought you were going to try and help Mikaela before I fell asleep, love bug." I held his digit a few seconds longer, running my thumb across the smooth metal.

" **Emphasis on -** ** _try_** **.** " He rolled his optics to the side, tilting his helm to the side playfully before he looked back at me. " **I saw you - fall asleep - and I - couldn't help - but want to - watch you.** "

"Me?" I raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Sleeping?" Was I seriously _that_ captivating when resting?

The scout nodded, " **You looked - very - peaceful - and - cute**."

"So you decided to lay opposite of me? Doesn't that feel a little weird for a big guy like you?"

" **Not necessarily.** " He cleared his throat before continuing. " **Feeling - human - nature - is nice. It's very - calming - actually. With you - here - it feels even better.** "

To cover up my embarrassment I coughed under my breath, "T-That's a little creepy."

Bumblebee reared back, whirring in a manner that seemed like he took offense to that comment while looking me over. " **Creepy?** "

"Are you two going to help out or not?" Mikaela's question that came in the form of a shout reached us both as we looked over at her. She was staring at us with an arched eyebrow and giving us a 'Seriously?' kind of look.

"Yeah, we're coming." I responded in a equally loud shout before glancing back at Bee who continued to look at me, probably still baffled from my previous comment. "Sorry?" I gave an awkward smile followed by a shrug.

He shook his helm. " **I can never stay mad at you - for too long**. **You know that.** " He slipped his digit out of my grasp before rustling my hair with it which made me laugh. " **I'll spare you - this once.** "

"Can I give you a kiss on the cheek as a better apology?"

" **I'd be ecstatic - if you did - m'lady.** " Bumblebee chirped as he leaned over to me, presenting his metallic cheek to me. He continued chirping in that cute way of his and I smiled before leaning in. What I didn't expect was him to turn his helm and his mouth guard to land on my lips.

"Hey!" I laughed as he then gave a kiss to my forehead with his mouth guard. "I believe I asked to kiss your cheek not your mouth, Bee."

" **Well - I wanted - a little more - than that - as an apology.** " Bumblebee winked as he got up. " **You're forgiven.** " He then began walking over to a patiently waiting Mikaela who was smiling in our direction.

I rolled my eyes, smiling as well from what happened before catching up with Bee. Once we reached Mikaela I bowed, mimicking a butler. "How may we be at your service, madam?"

"I'm glad you asked, good sir." Mikaela played along as she then held out a folded list. "Since you two can't stay away from each other, you can go and pick up the food, napkins, plates, and drinks."

" _All_ of that?" My eyes widened as I took the list from her, unfolding it. Me and Bee both scanned over the items.

"Yup, my dad should be bringing over the grill in three hours."

"And the fireworks?" I waved the open list for her to see. "I noticed you didn't put that down."

"Sam is in charge of getting that and bringing it over from my place in an hour." Mikaela answered. "I'm trying to get my dad and him to warm up to each other."

"So then we technically have a bit of free time and I don't have to get the meat, drinks, napkins, and paper plates _straight_ away-"

"That doesn't spare you from doing anything, missy." Mikaela cut me off which made me silently groan. "You'll be doing something now that you and Bee are conscious."

"I'll do my best." I gave her a weak smile and thumbs up before she hooked her arm in mine.

"Good-" She yanked my arm and began pulling me away. Meanwhile, Bee made sure to catch up with us. "Because we still have a bit to do."

* * *

 ** _July 4th, 2009_**  
 ** _Saturday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _9:10 P.M_**  
 ** _Abandoned Railway_**

 _Me and Bee helped Mikaela decide on where everything would go and when we would start celebrating. After that, Bee and I went off the market to get what we needed. Most of the grocery shopping was spent playing around with the cart as I'd be sitting in it while Bee would be pushing it around. There were people who would give us strange stares or just smile at how we were acting together, but it didn't faze us. Once we stopped and became more serious about our duty, we grabbed the meat needed, payed, and then went back to the abandoned railroad. After waiting around in utter boredom, Sam arrived with the fireworks and Mikaela's dad dropped off the grill for us to use. Thankfully, Mikaela knew a bit more with using it and cooked the meat for everyone. As I'd be the one munching and trying out the food, Bee would be helping Sam set up the fireworks as it got darker._

I sat down on the grass, looking up at the dark sky as some fireworks from other places near or far were being launched into the air. The way they lit up the sky for a brief moment and simmered away into smoke was beautiful.

"Did you enjoy the food?" I looked to see Bee's holoform take a seat beside me.

"Mikaela knows her grills well." I smiled. "The hamburgers and hot dogs were the bomb."

"I wish I could digest with this holoform like you, Mikaela, and Sam." He sighed. "It'd be nice to know what human food tastes like."

"Maybe one day Ratchet can make some modifications for you to do that in this form. Until then-" I leaned over and whispered. "You're totally missing out."

"Don't rub it in." He grumbled, gently pushing me away from him. I giggled as he sulked.

"Do you know when Mikaela and Sam are going to set off the fireworks?"

"She said they would in a few minutes. Sam is just nervous about something going wrong."

"Fireworks _can_ be deadly to a human."

"Well-" We both looked at Sam and Mikaela talking about the set up fireworks with them. Thy weren't too far away from us, but it was best to keep distance so no one could be hurt. "I'll be monitoring them from here."

"Hopefully you'll get up in time to actually _do_ something."

"Hey, you're talking to a scout who _knows_ how to protect his charge and his girlfriend." He then wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to his side. "Of course, the scout's girlfriend doesn't need to ask for protection." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I sighed in content and intertwined our fingers. "I wish everyday could be like this: no danger and no need to fight anyone."

"If only your enemies and war didn't follow you guys to Earth."

"Hey!" We lifted our heads to see Sam waving at us violently with his arms up and down with Mikaela clearly not trying to smile. "It's ready!" He yelled.

"Ok!" I smiled before releasing Bee's hand and getting up. "Bee, why don't you use your actual form?"

"Why?"

"You're much taller in that form. Taller means better view." I stuck out my tongue.

"You're planning to take advantage of my height?" He gasped in a mock offensive voice. "I'm hurt, Bells."

"C'mon, you know that's not the _only_ reason! I'm just saying we can see the fireworks better with how tall you are~ Besides I won't be the only one to enjoy it, you will too."

"Fine fine, just for you. The holoform vanished before the camaro parked near the abandoned railway drove over carefully and transformed in front of me. He got down on a knee and held out his servo for me to climb onto. " **Let's enjoy this moment together - Bella.** "

My smile turned into a grin and got onto his servo. Once he lifted me up to his shoulder, I took my seat and gave a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Bee." He chirped happily in response. I looked towards Mikaela and Sam before shouting. "Light it up!"

Sam did so before he grabbed Mikaela's hand and ran away from the set up. Fireworks fired up into the air and exploded into brilliant colors for us to see.

 _It was a great day, that Fourth of July spent with Bumblebee and my friends. I don't think I could find a more peaceful day then that one. What followed after that month was a battle that started my actual story. Instead of the story of a girl who fell for an alien, this would be the story of a girl who discovered herself._

* * *

 **FINALLY GOT THIS UP**  
 **Bumblebee's holoform won't be used as much as it was considering he'll be in the action and all.** **That's my** **reason why I used it so much for these** **twenty-five chapters. Of course I'll still be using the holoform for later chapters but not as often as I did previously.**  
 **Anyways-**  
 **NOW WE WILL FINALLY MOVE ON TO THE TF2 ARC**


	26. Move

move  
mo͞ov/  
verb  
change one's place of residence or work.

* * *

 ** _? 2000_**  
 ** _?_**  
 ** _Normal_**  
 **?**

 _Isabella entered a dimly lit room, carefully closing the door behind her before looking around at the writings painted on the walls and even underneath her feet. The writing wasn't anything like the many languages of the humans, that was certain. She ran her small fingers over the writing, pulling them back when she noticed some of the paint smearing._

 _"Isabella." The young girl turned her head to look at who called her, watching that curly red-haired woman walking over to her before turning her head to look back at the writing. The woman placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, ignoring how she stiffened. "What are you doing in here?"_

 _"Mommy wouldn't stop talking, even when I tried going to sleep in daddy's office. She wanted me to come here."_

 _"Did she now?" The woman hummed in thought. "Has she quieted down?"_

 _"Mmhm." Isabella nodded before she was turned to face the woman._

 _"Do you know what type of writing this is, Isabella?"_

 _"Cybertronian," The child responded without hesitation. "Mr. Simmons showed daddy pictures of writing like that a few days ago and told him about it."_

 _"Can you understand it?"_

 _"Yes, Ms. Ruby."_

 _"Good good, you're learning our culture then." Ruby mused, patting the top of her head._

 _"Bella?" Antonio peeked in to check if his daughter was there and was relieved to see she was. He rushed in, crouching down and putting an arm around her shoulders while looking at her worriedly. She didn't even turn to look at him. "What are you doing in here?"_

" _Mommy was talking to me." Isabella replied. "She told me to come in here."_

 _Antonio then turned his head towards Ruby who had backed off the girl. He narrowed his eyes and got up, "Why did you let her come in here?"_

 _"She needs to know some of her race's culture, Tony." The woman stated with her arms wide. "You can't keep her shielded from her roots forever."_

 _Antonio clicked his tongue at what she said before picking up Isabella, putting a hand on the back of her head as she wrapped her small legs around his waist. Once he knew his hold on his daughter was secure, he walked out. Isabella, resting her head on her father's shoulder, gazed back at Ruby who stepped out of the room after they did._

* * *

 ** _August 30th, 2009_**  
 ** _Sunday_**  
 ** _Isabella_**  
 ** _11:27 A.M_**  
 ** _Home Residence_**

"Bella." A voice called out.

"Everything's packed. ." I mumbled under my breath while laying back on the couch. "Give me a few minutes before we get going."

 _Today was the day~ I was moving onto college! Mom and Connor had me get up early to start packing everything so we wouldn't have to worry about it later. I was tired from all of it. The day before was spent saying goodbye to friends and other family members in the area. Mrs. Witwicky offered to give me a ride to the college since me and Sam would be attending the same one, but I politely declined considering I wouldn't be living in the dorms. When we entered high-school as freshmen, me and Jordan always had this plan of moving into an apartment together once we entered college. Jordan was accepted into a medical school not too far from my college so the plan worked out. Labor for three years plus saving up equaled an apartment. I promised Sam I'd come visit him at the dorms once I was settled in so I knew where I was headed. Before mom would drop me off, I planned on taking a quick nap. . Or so I thought._

When I tried turning on my side to get more comfortable, a sudden weight on my stomach prevented me from doing so. I raised an eyebrow and lifted my head while opening my eyes. The weight was Bee's holoform who had his head rested on my stomach with his head turned away from me. "Bee, what the hell?"

"You're finally awake," He shifted his head to look at me. "I was trying to wake you up, but you're a heavy sleeper."

"So, you decided to rest on my stomach?" I sighed, raising my hand to stroke his hair while looking up at the ceiling.

"Your tummy is comfortable." He then lifted his head, getting up to sit beside me.

"That's a lie." I groaned, moving to sit up on the couch. I rubbed the side of my head as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders after taking a seat. "It must have been so uncomfortable laying there, especially when it goes up and down with every breath I take." I glanced at him. "What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be with Sam leaving for college?"

"That's kind of why I'm here. Sam said he didn't need me around anymore."

My eyes widened, "He said what?!"

"He said he was safe now since there wasn't any Decepticons after him, so that meant there wouldn't be a need for me to continue being his guardian. He also said he wanted to live a normal life away from the war."

How could Sam say something like that? He was the one who helped Mikaela egg me on to join the alliance and even tell me. Because Bee was my boyfriend, I got upset. "I'm going to-"

" _Don't_." The blonde lifted his arm from my shoulders, turned, and took a hold of my balled-up hands. "I know you're upset with him, but hurting him isn't going to do anything."

"Well I was thinking if I knocked some sense into him he'd realize what he was saying was idiotic." I said casually with a roll of my eyes before looking at him.

" _Bella_." He gave me the look.

"What? I can't defend my boyfriend?"

"I appreciate the thought, really I do. As much as part of me would like to see you pummel Sam, I can't allow it."

"What are you going to do then? You don't have Sam as your charge anymore."

"I'll probably have to return to base."

"So that's it then? No cuddles in the middle of the night? No movie watching on the weekends?" I watched him get up from the couch. All those plans we had for the years I'd spend in college with Sam crumbled. The idea of not seeing Bee scared me in a strange way.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'll see if I can work something out with Prime to visit you once in a while."

 _"Go see Sam."_ A new voice spoke up. It was a woman's voice, but it didn't sound like my mother.

"What?" I looked around for someone other than Bee.

"What?" Bee repeated, probably more confused than I was as I searched for a sign of someone else when there wasn't. "Is something wrong, Bella?"

"Call me crazy, but I just heard someone else talking." Who was that if no one but Bee was around?

"Are you sure you were hearing someone's voice? Your mother and step-father are outside making sure everything's in the car. I'm not quite sure where your younger step-brother is."

"Sorry," I awkwardly smiled. "I may just be tired still."

"There's no need to apologize, Bella." Bee laughed and rustled my hair. "Try and get some more sleep on your way to that college, ok?"

"I will." I slowly nodded, rubbing the side of my head. As he was making his way out, I grabbed his hand. "Do you _really_ have to go right this second?"

A small frown replaced his smile just as he looked back at me. "I'd love to stay with you, Bella. Believe me. I can't risk getting in trouble with Prime." Before I could protest, he gave me a gentle kiss. "I promise to try and visit, ok? Just. . Don't let this ruin your first day away from home." With that, his holoform vanished and I was alone.

"Kinda hard not to." I muttered what I wanted to say in response before going to the front door, slipping on my sneakers. I stepped out of the place I grew up in, catching the sight of Bumblebee driving away from the house before my mother came into my view.

"My Bella!" She smiled brightly, though her eyes were watery. She cupped my cheeks which made me laugh. "I can't believe it, you're going to college."

"It's going to be pretty weird without me in the house, huh?" I tried teasing, only to find my mother hugging me tightly while sniffling. "Mom, come on-" I pulled away, taking both her hands as tears began streaming down her face. "Don't cry."

"How can you expect me not to when my daughter is leaving me?!" She became hysteric, burying her face on my shoulder.

"Mom please." I gave her a hug. "I promise to visit on holidays or whenever I can so you can see me then." I attempted to make things better with that-she'd get the chance to see me again after all.

"You better or I'll come down there and scold you!" She snapped as I laughed. "I'm being serious, Bella!"

"I know, I know." I wiped away her tears.

"Where's your boyfriend anyways? I would have thought he'd come by and see you off."

"He did all of that yesterday, mom."

"On your two-month anniversary?" She then eyed me suspiciously. ". . You two didn't-?"

I turned red at what she was thinking, "Oh my god, mom!" I shrieked. "Our relationship hasn't even reached a year!"

"Was it wrong to assume? Some relationships progress faster than others; me and your father were that type." She chuckled.

"I can't believe you're saying all of this to me." I covered my face after letting out a long groan. "This is too much information you're giving to your daughter y'know. And the difference between our relationship and yours is that you two met as adults!"

"At least assure me you two will be smart when you reach that stage. I already know your boyfriend's a gentleman, but I don't know what he's like when you two are alone."

"Mom-"

"I don't even know if he plans on living with you at your apartment."

"Mom, he's not living with me and Jordan. Yes, he'll come to visit like Adrien will with Jordan, but that's it!"

"Good."

"Shouldn't Connor be the one to talk with me about all of this?"

"He doesn't know you as well as I do." She explained while putting her hand on my back, beginning to lead me to the car where Connor was standing by. "Plus, he can probably be a bit more shielding with you compared to having this sort of talk with Adrien."

"Because I'm a girl."

"That and he's not sure on how to feel about your boyfriend. Your boyfriend does have his approval, but Connor's still feels iffy about him."

"What was that, Claudia?" He questioned, hearing his name in the conversation.

"Nothing Connor~ We should get ready to leave don't you think?" My mom could get off of a topic quicker than most moms I've met-it was a gift.

Connor gave her the eye before opening the driver's door and stepping in. "If we left now we could get there before your friend does."

"Sounds good." I gave a thumbs up. My mom got into the passenger's seat while I got in the back.

"Will Adrien be ok at his friend's house till we get back?"

"I'm sure he will."

 _As we began driving away from home that day, I wondered just who that voice was. Her voice was unlike any other I had heard in my lifetime, but something in the deepest corner of my mind told me I knew. The idea seemed ridiculous at first, and I'd probably feel crazy later, but maybe I could try talking with her. That's where things got weird for me._

* * *

 **It's been forever since I update and I apologize for that. Surprisingly I had a little trouble figuring out how this would go, but I eventually figured it out. Bee will be coming back soon, but I'm sure that's already obvious considering this is a story about Bella and Bee lol**

 **What I wrote in the beginning will happen more often as things get more interesting ouo**

 **Thanks for reading~!**


	27. Threat

threat

THret/

noun

a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.

* * *

 **August 31st, 2009  
Monday  
Normal  
2:05 P.M  
NEST Base**

 _Bumblebee arrived at the NEST base in Diego Garcia a couple of hours after sending out a message to Optimus. The other Autobots told him of the new director, and it didn't seem like any of them liked the man-Optimus included. It didn't take long for him to figure out why. The director, Galloway, was truly a pain to be around. It also didn't take long for the scout to begin missing his human charge and his girlfriend. They both meant a great deal to him, and he would think about what they might be doing whenever he didn't have anything to do. It was nice to be able to go out on missions with the other Autobots again, but he yearned to have Isabella and Sam as his company once again._

"Bumblebee?"

The yellow and black striped bot transformed in his resting spot, looking to see Optimus approaching. " **Yes, sir?** "

"It's good that you have returned considering your skill in the battlefield, but I've noticed you've been concerningly quiet here around base."

Bumblebee lowered his helm, optics looking anywhere but towards his commander. " **That obvious, huh? Sorry, sir.** "

"There's no need to apologize, Bumblebee. From what I can interpret, the thought of Sam or Isabella must be troubling you."

" **I don't get to see - either of them - as much as I use to.** "

"That is true. I was quite surprised when I heard Sam had you resign from your guardian duties to pursuit a normal life."

How could he think that option was available after everything he went through? Bumblebee's former charge's mind was hard to understand at times. " **I respect his wishes. I only wish - that I could have had - more time to spend with - Isabella.** "

"That's right, you two entered a romantic relationship not too long ago." Optimus's narrowed optics reflected worry as he went quiet. "I can only hope you two can work things out with these conditions."

" **I've been meaning to ask you something – about that – sir."**

"Oh?"

" **My time as Sam's guardian is over, but I'd like to try and - serve as - a guardian for – Isabella.** "

"Why is that?"

" **She may not have been here - in the beginning - of all this, but she's also - someone to worry about -when it comes to danger. I could also – keep an eye – on Sam – since he's close by.** "

Optimus frowned, "Unfortunately assigning this position won't be as simple as before with Sam, Bumblebee. We would need to speak with NEST about this."

" **Including - the director?** " His door wings lowered, already knowing the answer.

"Most likely." The Autobot commander sighed. The scout could see his irritation clearly.

"Optimus!" The two turned around to see Sideswipe skating over. As he neared, the expression on his facial platings told them it was something serious.

"What is it, Sideswipe?"

"I don't know, but I was sent to retrieve you for an important meeting that's being held." Shortly after saying that, Sideswipe led the way to the gathered human and Autobot personnel. The large screen from the day of Galloway's arrival was on and projecting Morshower from where he was.

Bumblebee nudged Ironhide, inquiring for an explanation in the form of a whirr.

"What seems to be the problem, General?"

"Ahem." And there was Director Galloway standing by Lennox on the railing like before, waiting for Optimus to acknowledge him as well. Ironhide and Sideswipe quietly scoffed.

". . Director Galloway." Optimus curtly added. There were more important things at hand to give attention to.

Lennox stepped in, "Apparently an anonymous and threatening video was sent in to NEST. We think it may be the work of the Decepticons."

"Well what are the contents of this video about?" Ironhide asked.

"Whoever was talking _knows_ where the NEST base is and that you Autobots are gathered her. . But they don't talk about harming any of you."

"Then what are they threatening?" Ratchet questioned. "Is what's threatening the fact that they know where we are and who's occupying this location?"

"That is a threat to us all, but the person is threatening to hurt a civilian—one specifically."

"Is it Sam?" Epps looked up at them all from where he stood below.

"No," Lennox grimaced. "It's Isabella."

"That can't be right." Optimus was taken aback. His optics were casted downwards, trying to think clearly with this information.

"Who is this Isabella?" Galloway blinked, looking at Lennox for an answer.

"Isabella Sainte," Lennox answered. "She's someone like Sam who knows about the Autobots."

"How many civilians are aware of the Autobots existence?"

"That's not what's important! Why are they threatening Isabella?" Ironhide demanded, angered that someone would think of doing such a thing to her. "Were they able to somehow discover she was affiliated with us?"

"That would be a better explanation then what they gave us. They weren't specific on what they would do, and they brought up something strange."

"Strange?"

"They talked about the existence of these thought-to-be extinct beings from Cybertron known as 'Catalysts'."

"Catalysts. .?" Optimus appeared unsettled at the name.

"Optimus?" Ironhide and Ratchet looked towards their leader with worry.

"I haven't heard the name of that group of beings since I was known as Orion."

"What are these 'Catalysts' exactly?" Galloway asked.

"I don't remember everything about them, but I do know they are able to blend in quite well with Earth's society. Finding whoever sent that video will not be easy to find."

"That doesn't mean it's impossible." Epps nodded determinedly. "We need to act fast for Bella's sake."

" _Just_ for this Isabella girl?" Galloway huffed. "I don't think so."

"She's a civilian in danger," Lennox glared. "We don't know anything about these self-proclaimed 'Catalysts' or what danger they could prove to other civilians. Taking care of this now before anything happens would be better than later and risk creating a mess to the public eye. Think about it."

"Bumblebee should be sent to guard Isabella until we know the threat is gone." Optimus advised before turning his helm to look at the scout who had seemingly vanished. ". . Bumblebee?"

"He ran off not too long after Lennox announced the video was about Isabella." One of the Arcee triplets spoke up. "I'm sorry I didn't stop him, sir."

"It's fine. If I'm guessing correctly, he most likely went to protect Isabella."

* * *

 **August 31st, 2009  
Monday  
Normal  
6:23 P.M  
Apartment Complex**

"Alright, I think everything's been unpacked." Jordan took a seat on the new sofa, soon laying on it. She was exhausted after all the things were put in her and Isabella's first apartment.

"Good." Isabella sighed. She too was tired. "I think I'll take a nap in my room. Are you sure you want to be sleeping here in the living room?"

Jordan waved her off, closing her eyes. "I'm too tired to move, Bel. I'll get up and go after I wake up from this nap."

"Whatever you say." Isabella shrugged before heading towards her room. Moving in took place yesterday and she decided to look around her college before unpacking with Jordan. The process wasn't quick, so it took most of the day to finally be finished.

A knock at the door stopped the nineteen-year old girl from entering her room. "Coming." She called and skipped over. She unlocked the door, peeking out and saw a familiar face. "Bee?" She leaned back and opened the door fully for him. "You didn't leave?"

"You're ok." He sighed in relief. "That's good to see."

"What do you mean by that? Of course, I'm ok. Did something happen?"

". . It's nothing." He shook his head and forced a smile. "I was able to talk with Optimus about sticking around. Mind if I come in so we can talk?"

"Sure." Isabella, still recovering from the surprise of having Bee return so soon, stepped to the side and allowed him to enter. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something had happened. Hopefully she'd be able to find out.

* * *

 **It's been so long since I updated.  
Sorry for the very long delay!  
Writer's block is never easy to overcome  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
It may feel a little rushed with what's happening, but I had this in mind before writer's block struck me  
The video will be showed in the next chapter c:**


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